Capturing the Moment
by Liari
Summary: AU Ami and the girls are all grown up, and Usagi is getting married. The only thing is, though everybody else seems to have found their dreams and someone to share it with, Ami is alone and drifting. AmixZoi pairing focus, with senshishitennou pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N Hi! This is my first fanfic, so please, be gentle. What I'm looking for is constructive critisism on how to make this better. I've discovered that there are far too few fanfics with Ami and Zoisite, so I figured I might as well try my hand at it. Let me know how I've done so far, all right? This is just a prologue, so don't expect any action until the first chapter; this's just a bunch of neccessary info. Have fun reading, and I hope you enjoy!_

_Liari_

_Disclaimer: I own many things (mostly books), but I do not own Sailor Moon, Ami, or Zoisite (how unfortunate!). _

Laughter filled the room, bounced off the pale walls, and wrapped the five women in the same warmth and companionship that they'd shared since junior high. Ami smiled as she reflected on the faces of her closest friends, hiding her expression with one hand.

There was Usagi, lounging on an overstuffed beanbag, her mouth stuffed with a cupcake Makoto made, the chocolate smeared on her fingers and face as she tried to yell at Rei for calling her a pig. The instigator of the whole scene, Rei, sprawled on her chair as she laughed at the spectacle, her violet eyes gleaming. Makoto, also laughing while she offered Usagi a napkin. Minako was doubled-over with giggles as she attempted not to choke on her own cupcake.

"If you keep eating like that, Meatball Head, you're never gonna fit in your wedding dress!" Rei teased Usagi as the blonde chewed furiously, trying to empty her mouth enough to snap back a retort.

Makoto, still laughing, finally got Usagi to take the napkin. "Well, then our resident Goddess of Love will just have to take the dress out a bit, right?"

Minako snickered, then shoved the rest of her cupcake into her mouth when Usagi glared daggers her direction. The dress in question was just in the other room as it waited for its finishing touches that would be done sometimes this week. Designed and created by Minako, it was a rather stunning, sweeping gown of silver and white. Of course, this was no surprise, coming as it did from the mind of the now-successful fashion maven behind Love's Design.

"Mamoru loves me no matter what I look like, Rei! And I'll fit in my dress just fine!" Usagi finally got out after she swiped furiously at the remaining chocolate on her face. "You're just mad 'cause Jad hasn't proposed to you yet!" Ami stifled another smile at the vehemence in Usa's voice and the blush on Rei's cheeks, and wondered idly if those two would ever be at peace. She doubted it.

She looked around at them again, and this time let her smile show. They'd come a long way from junior high and teenaged dreams. All of them had grown and flourished, stayed friends, even when things were hard and they had to get through day by day. They were always there for each other.

Her smile twisted slightly as some of those hard times came back to her, then smoothed out again when she told herself that such thoughts had no place here and now. This was a celebration! Mamoru and Usagi were finally getting married. After years of antagonizing each other, the couple finally admitted to their feelings, and their relationship stabilized into something resembling normal. That was about four years ago, and when Mamoru proposed this last Christmas, the only one who'd been surprised was Usagi. Everyone else sighed in relief that they were finally going to make it official, and threw themselves whole-heartedly into making their wedding the most spectacular event of the year. Makoto's restaurant was handling the catering with Makoto herself as the head chef, of course, and Minako had taken over creating the wedding garb, designing each dress to make the most of the woman it was to gild. Rei was going to sing an original composition for the couple. The only one without a real talent to offer was Ami, and she felt that lack sharply. Admittedly, she was helping organize everything, but it just didn't seem like enough. Usagi had asked her to take photos of the wedding, but Ami was a little reluctant, reminding her that photography was just a hobby, and she did more landscapes, anyway.

She sighed under her breath, then twitched her lips back into a smile as Makoto turned an inquiring glance her way. Ami shrugged and mouthed _I'm a little tired_, and Makoto nodded understandingly.

"All right everyone, it's getting late, so let's get some sleep! This is our time before the wedding, so let's get our rest while we can, so that we can have all that more fun, okay?" Makoto ushered everybody off to bed while the other women laughed at her mothering and obeyed mockingly. Ami let her smile fall as she padded to her bedroom.

Since they were all staying at her summer house for the week on a mini-vacation from wedding plans, she had her own room, with all her little touches. She'd ended up redoing everything in the house after being left alone, unable to stand seeing reminders of her mother everywhere she turned. The condominium had been sold and she moved into her own little apartment in the city, but she couldn't give up their summer cottage on the beach. So, she remodeled vigorously, scouring every piece of her mother from the house, adding an office, a porch, painting all the rooms in different colours, selling the old furniture and buying new. The only thing that remained of the woman she'd adored was the single room she couldn't bring herself to touch. The library still held all her mother's books and knickknacks, and the ghost of Pure Grace perfume seemed to linger in the air. Sometimes, when the world was just too much, Ami would go to that room and curl into the leather chair her mother had loved so well, and pretend that her mother was there holding her.

Her mother's death had changed everything. Killed by a patient in the throes of opium-induced psychosis, Shizuka Mizuno inadvertently left her twenty-two year old daughter motherless and broken. When the hospital called, their words echoed in Ami's mind, crystallized, then shattered, taking her world with them. She was old enough to not need a guardian, and well-taken care of financially, but her dreams had been laid to rest as she watched the smoke from her mother's shrine drift towards the ceiling. Her father hadn't even come for the funeral service.

The girls had been the only support she'd had. Luckily, they were enough to keep her above water, if only barely. They understood when she quit medical school, when she tore the house apart, even when she eventually retreated to the cottage for several months. They helped her slowly start to piece herself back together again, brought her cookies, held her when she needed the contact, loved her without hesitation. She watched them chase their dreams and find them, watched as both Minako and Makoto built businesses from the ground up, as Rei started selling her songs to big stars, as Usagi finally got her teaching degree so that she could teach kindergartners. Watched as they each found someone to share their dreams with.

Yet, in all of this romance and achievement, she still didn't know what to do with her own life, much less how to share in someone else's. She'd picked up a camera one day because she wanted the distance a lens could give her. It was easier to look at the world through glass, find beauty and not be a part of it, to just be the one behind everything, like always. She took some photography courses as her interest grew, and now had a little studio of her own as well as a Nikon D2X for digital and an F6 so she could develop her own film, but it was still no more than a hobby in her eyes. She just enjoyed capturing the moments she saw. The way the waves touched the beach, how the sun kissed the horizon, a bird in perfect stillness, a tree's strength, all held in timelessness imparted by her.

She sighed as she turned the doorknob and walked into her room. Normally the cool blues and silver would soothe her, but tonight her heart ached horribly. She absently rubbed at her breastbone, the sensation almost a physical pain. Sapphire eyes sought comfort, looked at the picture that stood on her vanity. Even the image of her mother smiling wasn't enough to distance her from the hurt. She sighed again and climbed into bed. Maybe, with a good night sleep, it would seem better in the morning. At least then she'd be able to keep herself busy again with the others. She turned off the light and settled in, closed her eyes and waited for the night to be over.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning came gently, and a soft breeze from the open window woke her with a caress. Ami yawned and stretched, then glanced at the clock. Six eighteen. She smiled; perfect. The light would be gorgeous as it slowly crept across the waves. Out of bed in a flash, Ami threw on some jeans and a blue t-shirt with the word _Fly_ scrawled on it in loopy black lettering. Her teeth brushed in record time, a hand dragged through her hair, then she was ready. She snagged her F6 and headed for the door without bothering with shoes. This was comfortable, this was normal, this was what she did for those months spent here to regain her balance.

The sand was silky and cool beneath her feet, the wind brisk and sweet, and happiness swelled inside her quietly, infused her with calm. She always felt like this when she was out here catching moments. This was why she did this. For the perfect instant of peace it gave her when she clicked a new picture.

She laughed as the wayward breeze ruffled her navy locks, and brought the camera up to her eye. There it was; there was the moment she was looking for. A snick of the camera and she had it; an exquisite portrait of the sun coming up over the waves with a lone bird a dark shadow against the paling sky. Perfect.

After an hour of snapping photos, Ami finished with a last shot of the waves as they touched the sand and slid over a sparkling white shell. She stooped and delicately scooped up the little shell, examined it as it sat in her palm. It was incredibly fragile-looking, the gleaming curve of it lovely in her eyes. A smile slipped across her lips. This was something to take back and cherish. Maybe she could string it onto a necklace. With these thoughts she turned back to the house, ready to face everyone again.

She slipped back into the house quietly, then to the kitchen to make breakfast and start the tea after depositing her camera and the shell on her dresser. Everybody else was still asleep, so Ami hummed softly to herself as she made pancakes, eggs, and bacon. She may not be the cook that Makoto was, but at least she could make her way around the kitchen. Usagi and Minako had gotten better about many things over the years, but they were both still walking disasters when it came to culinary creation. She chuckled under her breath as she flipped the pancakes, the mound of fluffy goodness growing steadily.

"Mmmm…" Makoto followed her nose to the kitchen while her stomach rumbled eagerly. She stared at the table, laid out with a platter of bacon, a dish of scrambled eyes, the plate of pancakes, tea mugs and glasses for juice. "Ami, did you do all this?" Makoto walked over to the petite woman's side and took the bowl of fruit from her and set it down on the table.

Ami blushed. "Well, yes. I know I'm not as good a cook as you are, Mako, but I can, and I was up, so I thought I'd make breakfast for everyone." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, embarrassed.

"Breakfast? Sounds good, Ames, what'd you make?" Rei's curious voice piped as she wandered into the kitchen. Her violet eyes were still sleepy, and her dark hair was mussed, but she looked gorgeous, thought Ami, amused. Unlike herself, who looked rumpled no matter what she did. "Oooh, pancakes! I'm going to grab some before the bottomless twins wake up."

Ami and Makoto looked at each other and burst into laughter. Rei just grinned, grabbed a plate and piled it high. She was about halfway through the eggs and Ami and Mako had gotten their own plates, when Minako and Usagi stumbled in as they rubbed their eyes and yawned. Both blondes perked up at the scent of food and immediately dove in. While they stuffed their faces they all spoke about the activities of the day.

"I wanna go to the fair today!" Usagi chirped. She polished off the last bite of pancake on her plate and sat back with a content and eager look. "It looks like so much fun. They have rides and games and food booths…" She bubbled happily and gestured expansively with her hands.

"Sure, we can do that this morning, and then hit the public beach in the afternoon! How does that sound to everyone?" Mako looked around at all of them, green eyes bright with anticipation.

Rei shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. Shopping in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon; actually, sounds more than fine, sounds great." She grinned.

Minako nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh, I've been wanting to go to the fair, too! I wanted to pick up some of that handmade jewelry they make around here."

"That sounds like a good plan, Mako," Ami smiled. "The afternoon here gets pretty warm, so spending time at the beach will be nice."

"Ames, you should bring your camera! I want pictures of all of us having fun, you know?" Usagi beamed at Ami, a slight, softly wistful edge to her smile. "I mean, I know this won't be our last fun vacation together, but it just feels…different. I'm getting married in a week, and even though I know it doesn't really change anything, it _feels_ like it does, in a way…" She blushed. "Am I even making sense?"

Rei opened her mouth, then shook her head and grinned wryly. "Strangely enough, meatball, yeah, you are. It was weird enough when we all got guys…" She flushed and glanced at Ami. "I mean, not all of us, but you know that it kinda changed things when we weren't all just single girls all together, but there's nothing wrong with being single, and…oh, god, I've put my foot in it, haven't I?" Embarrassed, Rei gave a little laugh and sent an apologetic glance Ami's way. Ami just smiled.

"It's okay, Rei, Usagi, I know what you guys mean. Look, just because I'm the only single one doesn't mean that we're so different. Yes, things change, but that's just a part of getting older and growing up. Our lives can't stay the same, and we're all going to find things that take us away from each other a little. It's all right, though, because we'll never lose each other. So, let's get ready, I'll bring my camera, and let's just have some fun!"

Minako cheered. "Way to tell 'em, Ames! Just 'cause we're all taken and you're fancy free doesn't mean we've forgotten how to have fun! Let's go, girls!" She jumped up from the table and immediately tripped over her chair, tumbled into Usagi, and sent both of them sprawling to the floor.

They lay there for a minute, stunned, and then everyone broke into laughter as the other three scrambled over to try and help the two up with questions of "Are you all right?" Once everybody was back to rights, the girls scattered to get ready to go. Giggles and opinions sounded out as they prepared to leave, outfits were tried on and discarded, jewelry was borrowed and make-up shared. Soon, they were all set and eager to get out the door.

"All right, everyone! Let's hit the road!"


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N- Here's the next chapter for you! Here's where things start to happen, folks, so let me know what you think. Thanks to Filmmaker1690 and Nyght Musique for reviewing last chapter, and I hope everyone enjoys! Next chapter will be Zane's perspective on things, so you will get to find out just what he's thinking, I promise. Happy reading._

_Liari_

When they got to the fair at about ten-ish, it was in full swing. People were everywhere in noisy, happy abundance. The air was laden with scents from the fair food to the ocean breeze, and full of the sound of vendors, laughter, and tinkling music. The entire scene was a riot of colors; the bright hues of tents and awnings, the vibrant shades of toys and prizes, the rainbow of the clothes on the people themselves. It looked fantastic. The women all grinned at each other; this was going to be fun.

"Okay, guys, in case we get split up, let's meet back here by the ice cream stand in two hours,. We all have our cells, but just in case _someone _doesn't pick up her phone, we have a plan. All right?" Four pairs of eyes turned to a blushing blonde trying very hard to pretend that Makoto wasn't talking about her and her phone habits.

"What?" Usagi muttered, "Sometimes I just don't hear it.. That's not my fault!" She played with the corner of her white jacket and looked embarrassed.

Rei laughed at her. "That's what vibrate is for, Usa. Put your phone in your jeans, that way you'll feel it."

Minako slanted a sly glance at Rei, a smile lurking around her lips. "That's not all vibrate is for, Rei, or has Jad not gotten to that yet?"

While the crimson-clad Rei spluttered and turned as red as her shirt the others laughed, and Usagi snagged Makoto and ran off towards the food booths. "C'mon, Mako! Let's go see if they have anything that can compare to your cooking!" Makoto was dragged off laughing, the end of her scarf trailing behind her in a banner of viridian.

Minako grabbed Rei's hand as she spoke. "All right, firecracker, we're gonna go check out some of that jewelry and talk about the finer points of phones." Rei glanced helplessly back at Ami, her gaze beseeching, but the blue-eyed woman had already turned her attention elsewhere. Minako got her way as she shuffled Rei over to the jewelry vendors, and called to Ami over her shoulder, "Wanna come, Ames?"

Ami shook her head, and answered, "No thanks, Mina, Rei, I'll catch up to you later." She had caught a tantalizing ghost of a note, the sound barely there through the clamor of everything around her. She rotated slowly as she tried to locate it and strained her ears for another hint. There! She set off in the direction the wisp of sound came from, the sound of her boots on the pavement a determined _clack clack! _

The crowd parted briefly, and she saw what she was looking for. There he was, with his eyes closed, looking as if there was nothing else in the world but himself and his music. Ami smiled and made her way to his booth, happy to lean on the table that held all the different pipes as he played. The melody wrapped around her, haunting notes that sang of a sweet sadness she knew too well. Her own eyes closed as she listened, lost in the worlds he created.

"Good, isn't he?"

Ami nearly shrieked at the voice as it murmured into her ear. She snapped her head around, azure eyes wide, to stare at the owner of that voice. It was a man, taller than she was but not towering. His blond hair was pulled back a bit harshly, but the little locks that escaped and curled against his face and gave him a softer look. His clothing was on par with everyone else here, jeans and a shirt, but the emerald green of his shirt set him a bit apart, and the silky material it was made of just begged to be touched. The top three buttons were undone, and exposed his collar bone rather enticingly… Ami's eyes widened further at that thought, and she abruptly stopped looking, turned her attention instead back to the man playing. "Yes, he is," She shot him a look from the corner of her eye, measuredly. "You startled me."

His answering grin did nothing to soothe her. Of course, it probably didn't help that it also sent pangs of something that felt suspiciously like lust shooting through her…nor that she just discovered that his eyes were as green as his shirt. Then she frowned. Wait, she- …lost her train of thought as he replied. Dammit.

"Sorry." He didn't look sorry. "I didn't mean to scare you, it's just that you looked so peaceful there, listening to him, and he really is good." He grinned again, and she firmly squashed the errant half-formed idea of how to get that grin off his face. That kind of thing was unacceptable in a public place…and she had no business thinking such things about a stranger. Though for some reason he seemed familiar… That was it!

"Ah!" Her exclamation made him jump and stare at her. She gave him her own gamine grin as he glared, and beamed at him triumphantly. "I know you! You're Jad's friend, Zeke, or Zach, or something."

He sulked for a moment, and shoved his hands in his pockets as he scowled. "It's Zane, actually, Zane Aestus."

She almost laughed at his expression, but decided that might be a little over the top, so merely allowed herself a slight smile. They'd actually met just a bit ago at one of the wedding planning parties. Jad had dragged him along to help, and he had immediately hit it off with all the guys. In fact, if she remembered correctly, he was even one of the groomsmen now. She extended her hand, feeling much more inclined towards amiability now. "I'm Ami Mizuno; I met you briefly about a week ago at one of the wedding parties," She shrugged. "You probably don't remember me, we were all pretty busy."

He studied her for a moment, and she felt her smile start to falter under his scrutiny. He didn't even take her hand. She knew she was a bit forgettable, but did he really have to look at her like that? It was so intense. She dropped her hand back to her side, and when he spoke again she shivered a little at something in his voice. It sounded…husky. That was the only way she could think of to describe that note in his voice, the slight deepening of his words.

"I remember you. Though apparently I didn't make as much of an impression as I would've thought."

She laughed nervously, and tried to change the subject. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought all you guys were going somewhere for a break, same as us." She ran a hand through her hair absently as she wondered if he had decided not to go.

"Oh, we did. In fact, we're still here."

He had his grin back, to her chagrin. Then what he said actually registered. "Wait, you mean that all of you are here?" The irony of it made her laugh, which got a strange look from him. She felt compelled to explain. "I think it's funny. We go on breaks to get away from the wedding and just spend time with our friends, and it turns out that we all picked the same place to go. Usagi and the girls have probably already found their other halves." She smiled to herself as she thought of them all. They were such good matches.

When Makoto first started her restaurant she worked the counter as well as the kitchen, and met Naoki Hoshikawa, an astronomy teacher at the local college that most of her customers came from. Naoki kept coming for lunch, captivated as much by the purveyor as the provender. They'd been dating for over two years now, and were supremely content.

Rei, on the other hand, had a rather explosive relationship with Jadrick Fulsi that had been on again, off again, and on again for the better part of three years. They'd first clashed when Rei sold a song to a band that claimed the American as their agent. The band loved it; Jad hated it. That song started it all; the volatile nature of their passion still ran hot, but had turned from despise to desire. Ironically, the song's name was Hearts Aflame. Ami stilled laughed when she thought about it.

Kenta Kiyoe was a lawyer of the highest degree. When Mamoru's editing company had hired him as legal council, he had become a good friend, fitting into their inner circle without a hitch…or at least, not much of one. Fascinated by a certain blonde, he had been one of the lead investors in Love's Design when it had started, which had placed him exactly where he wanted; in near daily contact with the woman of his desires. Ami happened to know that Kenta intended to propose on Valentine's Day this year.

She shook off her distraction and returned her attention to the man in front of her. She immediately regretted that as she was captivated by the beginnings of laugh lines at the corners of those bottle-green eyes. _Stop it!_ She scolded herself. _You've seen other gorgeous men, in fact you're friends with four you can think of off the bat, so what makes him so special? _

He smiled and started to answer, but a nearby shriek cut him off. "AMI! Ami, look who's here! Mamo and all the guys are renting a cabin just a little bit away from here, isn't that wonderful?" Usagi bounded over, her bemused fiancé in tow and the rest of the group straggling behind, the three other couples looking amused at her antics. "I can't believe that we're all in the same place! I mean, we've all been to your place before, but I didn't know that Mamo liked it so much here that he would choose it to get away to like us!"

As Ami tried to make sense of that sentence, Rei saw Zane and exclaimed, "Zane! There you are, it's so good to see you!" Rei stepped up to the man and hugged him, an affection he returned with a warm smile for both her and her boyfriend.

Jad stood and grinned at him, sparkling blue eyes cheery. "Lost your way or found it, Zane Shui?"

The scowl Zane shot at Jad should have fried him on the spot. As it was, Jad just laughed at him. Ami quirked a brow, curious about the nickname, even if she didn't understand what Jad was teasing him about. "Zane Shui? Dare I ask?"

Jad aimed his grin in her direction, and Rei giggled from beside Zane, who crossed his arms over his chest and refused to speak. Rei glanced at him, then snickered. She poked his side, making him jump, and informed him, "If you don't tell her, we will."

Zane's scowl deepened, and he turned to Ami brusquely. "I'm an architect. At one point, I had a client who was very…interested in Asian influence, and wanted her house built to accommodate that interest. Every room had to have the proper feng shui, and I was a little, well, frustrated, since her designs and the laws of physics didn't really go together. Jad likes to remind me of this. Constantly."

Luckily, at that point the rest of the group interrupted, Mamoru and Makoto herding everyone towards the café set up nearby before Zane had a chance to get his hands on Jad. In the shuffle Ami ended up next to Naoki, Mako's chestnut-haired amour. She smiled up at him in greeting, and gave him a quick hug on the move. Naoki and she had a good friendship, and they could talk for hours about the stars, his favorite subject other than Makoto, and just about everything else. He squeezed her back and gave her a fond look before releasing her.

"Hey, Ames. How're you enjoying the free time so far?" His wide, soulful brown eyes crinkled at the corners with the question, his smile sincere.

She wrinkled her nose at him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What free time? So far it's been activity after activity!" she laughed, inviting him to share the moment. "I'm looking forward to this afternoon, when all we have planned is relaxing on the beach." She shrugged, then sparkled at him. "Though I do admit, it's a lot of fun being with the girls like this. It's been a while since we were all together with just us, you know?"

The slightly wistful way she said it didn't escape Naoki, and he tucked her against his side companionably, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "True… Us guys have taken up most of their time, haven't we? Sorry about that, Ames, you know you're always welcome, though, right?"

She leaned into him, glad of the comfort and understanding he offered. "Yeah, I know, Naoki, but sometimes I feel like a fifth wheel. You know I like you, all of you, but between careers and relationships, every now and then, it's like I've been left behind." She sighed, then shrugged again. "But, it's okay. I'm glad we're all making it."

He smiled, and nodded. "Yeah. And you're too sweet not to find somebody, Ami. If I was single…"

He waggled his eyebrows at her comically and made her laugh. She swatted at him with a giggle, and gave him another hug before moving away again. "Thanks, stargazer. Even if you are lying through your teeth," she teased him, grateful that she had the friends she did. He just flashed his teeth at her jokingly, then went to join his girlfriend as she shooed them all to a table that would seat everybody.

Ami made her way over and took a seat next to Usagi, who was currently babbling to Mamoru about everything they had been doing. She allowed herself a slight upward curve of her lips that wasn't quite enough to be called a smile. It looked like girls' time was over. Ah, well. She nabbed a menu and idly dragged one finger down the items to see if anything caught her eye.

"Can I share that?" She meeped and nearly jumped out of her skin; the voice had come from right next to her ear. She glared over her shoulder at Zane as he moved around to sit next to her.

"You enjoy doing that, don't you? That's twice, and I've only met you as many times!" Disgruntled by his responding smirk, she thrust the menu at him. "Here, you can have it. I'll get another one."

He raised a hand placatingly. "Hey, now, I'm sorry. I wanted to share it, not take it away from you. Though I don't see how it's my fault you aren't more aware of your surroundings." His bold green gaze dared her to take offense.

She took in a breathe to snarl at him, then released it without saying anything. Her hair rustled as she shook her head and sighed. "You're right." He looked surprised. "I should be more aware of who's around me. You can have the menu, though, I already know what I want." She handed it to him, not giving him time to protest. He took it, bemused. She turned to the waiter as he appeared to take drink orders, and asked for an ice tea, no lemon. Then she did her best to ignore the man beside her as he ordered his own drink and fumbled with the menu she'd given him, embarrassed that she'd almost lost her temper.

"Hey." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and lifted one elegant brow as if to ask, 'what?' "I…" he started, faltering as she just looked at him. "Look, I didn't mean to make you mad. It was just a joke."

"Fine," she answered him shortly, then gratefully turned her attention to Kenta as he asked her a question from across the table. The rest of lunch was spent with her attempting her very best to keep cool, Zane's presence at her side the worst kind of distraction. When it was over she breathed a small sigh of relief; she hadn't tasted anything, and she just wanted to get out of there and to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation.

"Hey, why don't you guys meet us at the beach in about an hour?"

At that moment, Ami could've cheerfully strangled the blonde on Kenta's arm with her own peach-colored sash. The others all looked at each other and agreed eagerly, making plans on what to bring. Ami just fumed silently and despaired as she thought of the entire afternoon spent trying not to make a fool of herself. Then she thought of just what everyone would be wearing-or rather not wearing-including one strawberry blond with those green, green eyes…and she nearly moaned. This was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N- Third chapter! What do you guys think so far? This one is a little bit longer than the first two, but that's also to make up for the fact that Zoi didn't get any input in the prologue. So, here's your insight on our green-eyed stud, let me know if you like it or not. Reviewers are showered in adoration!_

_Disclaimer: Unless I have a split personality, each in different bodies, I do not own Sailor Moon. _

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"Zane! Get your lazy ass out of bed, we're going to the fair today!"

Zane groaned as he tried to roll over and pull his pillow over his head. Only tried, because about halfway through the motion he was pounced on.

"Dammit, Jad!" He flung the pillow at the laughing blond's head. "If you didn't have a girlfriend I'd swear you were gay! Get off of me!"

Sky-blue eyes twinkled at him, a smug grin firmly in place as Jad pushed the pillow back at him. "Says the man with hair longer than most women. And you have no girlfriend to say any different, my fine fussy friend," He swung his legs over and sat on the edge of the bed. The twinkle in his eyes dimmed as he looked Zane. "In fact, you haven't had a steady girl for a couple years now. Just your flings. Why is that, Zane?"

Zane sighed and ran a hand through strawberry-blond curls. "Jad… C'mon, don't do this, we're supposed to be on vacation." A quick glance showed his friend to be entirely unimpressed. Another sigh. "I just haven't found anyone that captivates me quite as much as Rei does you, my fine nearly-affianced friend." A remembered flash of azure eyes made him pause for a moment, startled. _She captivates you…_ He shook his head and dismissed the small protest, then glared sourly at the man on his bed. "Now will you please go away and let me sleep?"

Jad tsked at him. "Now, now, grumpy Zane, I wasn't kidding when I said we were going to the fair. C'mon, get dressed. Breakfast is ready, so hurry up or it'll be cold. Naoki made omelettes, and they're actually pretty good." He hopped off the bed and sauntered out the door, throwing a last comment back over his shoulder. "I just want you happy, Zane Shui." The pillow hit the door as Jad slammed it closed, laughing.

"Shit," Zane swore, and lifted a hand to his face. Jadrick had been on him about his casual playboy ways for years; especially lately, as they got older. Zane saw nothing wrong with the way he lived; he was young and free, right? So what was the big deal if he hadn't found someone to share his life, dreams, anything with? After all, it wasn't as if he was lonely… Besides, relationships didn't work for him. The one time he'd really tried, it had…well. He closed his eyes again briefly, then opened them and sat up. As he ran his fingers through his hair again he reflected on the moment of insanity that had him remembering a woman he'd barely spoken to for three minutes last week. Ami. Her name was Ami.

He couldn't figure out just why she had caught his attention; she was so…small and quiet. Gorgeous, to be sure, with those blue eyes, perfect skin, and that little pixie face. Not to mention those slender legs that he could just imagine wrapping around his waist… Yet, she had none of the flash and verve of his usual fare. It puzzled him. They hadn't even talked for more than a brief greeting; she'd been distracted enough to barely even glance at him as Jad'd introduced him. A fleeting pressing of palms, and she was off and running to help with more planning. He shook his head once more, then rose and stretched, his muscles flexing fluidly.

"No matter," he muttered to himself as he snagged his brush to tame his mane to something approaching manageable. "We're out here for a good time, away from all of that anyway…" Exactly what 'all of that' was, he didn't know, but he also wasn't willing to think about it anymore right now. Never a morning person to begin with, Zane was grumpy about the method of his waking today.

He grumbled about perky blonds sick enough to enjoy mornings as he looked through the clothes he'd brought. His vanity pricked him into selecting the green silk shirt that exactly matched his eyes to go with his stonewashed jeans. He preened in the mirror for a moment, before catching his hair back in a loose ponytail and ambling out to the kitchen to get something to eat.

The only person there was Kenta, who looked up from his paper to smile at Zane. "Good morning." He gestured at the coffee pot and stove. "There's fresh coffee, toast, and one omelet left. Help yourself."

Zane sniffed appreciatively, and went to pour himself a cup of coffee, snagging a piece of toast on the way and shoving it into his mouth. Coffee acquired, he dumped the omelet onto the plate that was left on the counter, grabbed a fork, and headed for the table. After he downed his first cup, he felt much more human. "Ah, better."

Kenta slanted an amused look in his direction. "Glad to hear it. Now finish primping, peacock, we're leaving in ten." The grin that tugged at Kenta's mouth was all-together too smug for Zane's taste.

"Ha, then it's a good thing I already did all my primping, isn't it? I just need to brush my teeth. So there." He couldn't resist throwing in the last bit, even though it was childish. Still, all of them had been teasing him about his natural inclination to show himself off to the best of his ability. He grinned. "Give me five and I'm ready."

Kenta chuckled. "Fine. Five, or we're leaving without you."

Mamoru appeared in the doorway with his fingers busy as they buttoned his shirt. "Better hurry, Zane. Kenta likes a tight schedule."

Naoki and Jad wandered in together, both of them with huge grins. "Who wants to take bets on how many minutes over he'll push it?" queried the brunet impudently.

Jad just laughed. "I'll bet ten!"

"Five!" Naoki challenged.

"Eight!" Mamoru chimed in.

"Oh, I'd say only three, since he seems pretty together this morning." Zane shot Kenta a betrayed glare.

"You're all asses! I'm not going to go over!"

Kenta gathered his three dollars eight minutes later as they all walked out the door.

000

Zane wandered the fair, bored, while the others were off doing whatever it was they were doing. For some reason, he couldn't seem to get that girl off his mind. It was starting to frustrate him; everything seemed to turn his thoughts to her. In fact, it was getting so bad that he was imagining seeing her right now.

Wait. No, that was her! Zane straightened, surprised. It was Ami! What the hell was she doing here? Then he remembered Mamoru telling them that he and Usa had stayed with Ami at her summer house once on the beach, and he'd loved it. That was actually the reason he'd chosen this spot to vacation at. Although, Zane was also beginning to suspect that Mamoru had gambled on the likelihood of his bride-to-be and her party being here as well. This he didn't mind, seeing as it put him in the perfect position to remind the little blue-eyed beauty that he actually existed.

She looked so peaceful there at the table as she listened to the pipe performer. The expression on her face made him want to smooth a hand across her cheek; it was so sad and lonely and wishful, all at once. There it was again, that quiet sweetness that he just couldn't resist getting close to. He slipped up behind her and marveled once more at her lustrous, silky-looking hair, wondered how it would feel under his hands when he held her still for a kiss that would turn into much, much more… Distracted by his own thoughts, he decided that perhaps it was time to say something. "Good, isn't he?"

He nearly laughed as she emitted an almost-squeak. Those wide blue eyes that had trailed him for a week now were trained on him; obviously, she'd been too caught up in the music to realize that he was behind her. Oops.

She stared at him for a moment, and he took the time to examine her in more detail. His dreams hadn't been exaggerating. There was that same delicate face and those subtle curves that he remembered, all wrapped up in a very becoming ensemble of white button-down shirt and form-fitting jeans. For a mere second he had the hungry, primal image of her in one of his shirts; in nothing _but_ his shirt. As he shook off the lusty picture, he saw her eyes widen briefly, but before he could figure out what he'd done, she spoke.

"Yes, he is." The distrusting glance she threw at him should have flayed him to the bone. He found it rather cute. She continued, "You startled me."

He grinned; he couldn't help it! This woman was making a fool of him without even trying. She was just so damn adorable there should be vaccinations against her. Then she frowned, and he spoke before that could turn into a scowl, apologizing. "Sorry." He knew he was still smiling, but he honestly had no control over his facial muscles at the moment; they seemed to have been taken over by the gods of mischief. "I didn't mean to scare you, it's just that you looked so peaceful there, listening to him, and he really is good." He felt his mouth stretch in another grin, and enjoyed the moment.

Which was over all too soon as she exclaimed, "Ah!" He jumped, startled, and narrowed his gaze at her, wondering what had caused that. The rakish little grin she gave him more than made up for it, though, and when followed by the brightest smile he'd ever seen, he decided that all was forgiven. Even if she had made him jump. Then she ruined it.

"I know you! You're Jad's friend, Zeke, or Zach, or something."

…She didn't even remember his name. For a moment he was crushed, then he glowered and thrust his hands deep into his pockets to keep from either shaking her or kissing her until she never forgot him again, he didn't know which. "It's Zane, actually, Zane Aestus."

She smiled, and he melted again. "I'm Ami Mizuno; I met you briefly about a week ago at one of the wedding parties." Huh, as if he'd forget. He'd seen her face waking and sleeping for a week now; he could practically diagram her freckles. Not that he thought she would admit to having freckles, but he could. "You probably don't remember me, we were all pretty busy." Of course. The irony of it didn't escape him, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He ignored the hand she proffered because he knew that if he felt that soft, creamy skin he'd want more than a handshake. He took a moment to control himself as the urge to take her in his arms and drive out thoughts of anything but himself nearly gained ascendancy.

He was unable to suppress the edge of desire in his voice, no matter how hard he tried. "I remember you. Though apparently I didn't make as much of an impression as I would've thought." That last was almost bitter; Zane was unused to women forgetting him so easily.

He looked on sourly as she laughed, and wondered if perhaps it would be more difficult than he thought to insinuate himself into her life. A sudden frown as he realized what he'd just thought. Into her life? That was a bit more than his usual conquests. But, she was-...interrupting his musings.

"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought all you guys were going somewhere for a break, same as us." As she spoke she ran a hand through her hair, and his fingers twitched. Damn, this _must _be a bad case of lust, he never wanted a woman this much. At least, that's what he told himself as he tried to disregard the acid mutter of _May be more than lust, boyo_ his mind offered with sweet venom. He grinned at her while he entertained himself with mental pictures of her with mussed hair after a vigorous session in bed and stomped any ideas on what the mornings would be like in favor of the nights.

"Oh, we did. In fact, we're still here." To his bemusement she appeared to be almost irritated at that. He'd have to change that. He didn't want her irritated that he was around; maybe off-balance, surprised or nervous, but not irritated.

Then that trace of chagrin left her and she lit up and asked, rather redundantly, he thought, "Wait, you mean that all of you are here?" She laughed in delight, though at what he wasn't sure. When he gave her a puzzled-but-game look, she explained, "I think it's funny. We go on breaks to get away from the wedding and just spend time with our friends, and it turns out that we all picked the same place to go. Usagi and the girls have probably already found their other halves."

He agreed that it was a bit funny, but it wasn't really surprising when you considered just how devoted the betrothed couple were. He privately thought that the two would most likely go through anything just to be together. The little dark-haired woman in front of him, though, wasn't paying attention anymore. She had this little, private smile playing around her rose-colored lips that nearly broke his control. To distract himself he pasted on a smile and-

_Shit! _A shriek from nearby cut him off before he'd even gotten anything out. Startled, he glanced up in time to see a familiar blonde bounding towards them and babbling as she dragged Mamoru along. "AMI! Ami, look who's here! Mamo and all the guys are renting a cabin just a little bit away from here, isn't that wonderful?" The others roved out behind, each with their respective female. There was Naoki's saucy, long-legged number, Kenta's blonde bombshell, and there was Rei, Jad's little spitfire. He grinned as he saw Rei; they'd become friends as soon as Jad had brought her around. She was like his own baby sister, now, and he was often the one to tell them both they were being idiots when they were fighting. Though, they did enjoy fighting together, if only for making up.

The blonde, Usagi, kept going on about something, but he wasn't paying attention anymore. Rei had spotted him and yelled, "Zane! There you are, it's so good to see you!" He grinned at her as she tackled him in a hug, and wrapped his own arms around her as he smiled over her head at Jad.

Who, the smug bastard, took in who he was standing with and asked innocently, "Lost your way or found it, Zane Shui?"

Zane gritted his teeth and told himself that homicide caused too much paperwork, and orange wasn't really his best color. Besides, Rei would kill him if he did away with her boyfriend, no matter how well he hid the body. Still, he leveled a glare at the man that he hoped would scorch him where he stood. It didn't; moreover, Jad had the audacity to laugh at him. Insolent prick. He'd get him back for this.

"Zane Shui? Dare I ask?"

He cringed inside, but wouldn't back down. His arms crossed over his chest in a protective, guarded move. Rei and Jad were highly amused; he'd get them _both _later. He wasn't going to say anything, damn her blue eyes!

Rei poked him where she _knew _he was ticklish and told him, "If you don't tell her, we will."

Traitor! He held his growl behind his teeth, and turned to Ami, determined to get it over with in as few and least incriminating words as he could. "I'm an architect. At one point, I had a client who was very…interested in Asian influence, and wanted her house built to accommodate that interest. Every room had to have the proper feng shui, and I was a little, well, frustrated, since her designs and the laws of physics didn't really go together. Jad likes to remind me of this. Constantly."

There. That was basically why, even if it didn't tell her the utter debacle it really was. Miz Ladyborne, a woman who was as much lady born as himself, had been one of the worst jobs of his life. The ditz had wanted ceilings thirty feet high with windows everywhere, not to mention she didn't want any doors facing south, just north and the other directions. When he'd attempted to explain that doors were _two-sided_, she'd just waved him off, saying if he was as good as he said he was, he'd figure it out. It'd been impossible to please her, and every time he'd tried it had just been an exercise in futility. He'd finally built the house, but even then she wasn't happy with everything. She'd almost given him an ulcer, and he'd sworn to never work with another person like that again. He'd hand it off to another architect if that happened, and it didn't matter what the commission was.

As he headed toward Jad with murder on his mind, the others all started heading off. Swept up in the tide of bodies, Zane had no choice but to go the same direction. Rei snagged his arm as they walked and clung to him stubbornly, even when he shot her his death-glare as he tried to spot where Ami had disappeared to. When he saw that Ami was already attached to Naoki, he admitted defeat and let Rei take him where she would, feeling entirely dejected.

"You know, peacock, you shouldn't slouch like that, it makes for bad posture." Rei's violet eyes twinkled at him, and she gave him her best grin. He scowled and shrugged, and she frowned at him. "Zane, what is _wrong _with you? You've never gotten so huffy about Jad teasing you like that before." Concerned eyes peered up at him, sought out his own. "Aren't you feeling well?"

His mouth twisted, and he went to answer her when he heard the laughter that made his heart turn over. What he saw then set lightning lashing his heart, and his expression went thunderous. She was laughing with, talking with, _touching _Naoki. The snarl worked its way out of his throat before he could catch it, the feral sound vicious. Rei started and glanced in the direction he was staring. Her eyebrows flew into her hairline and she nodded slowly in realization. "Oh, I see."

Zane turned on her, upset and discouraged. "You see what? That for some godforsaken reason I'm obsessing over this woman I've only met twice now? That she turns me into a beast that can barely hold the mask of civility? That I've gone completely, utterly, and irreversibly insane? Fuck! Rei, I don't even know her, but I know too well how much I want her. She's your friend, can't you tell me it's a lost cause so I can stop this bullshit and forget it?" He was almost pleading with her, his voice rough and low as he strained to keep from screaming. This was impossible; people shouldn't feel this intensely this quickly, that only happened in movies and romance novels.

She looked at him somberly. "Do you think you could? I mean really, Zane." He raked his fingers through his hair forcibly, the digits catching when they met with the hair tie, uncaring of the mess it produced. "Ami isn't the kind of woman for a one night stand, peacock. She's more than that, deserves more than that. I think you're fighting this because you're terrified of where it might go." She regarded him with a softly sad smile. "I know what Marja did to you, sweetheart, but Ami's not the same."

He winced and closed his eyes briefly at the mention of his former fiancée. "It's not even that. It's that I feel out of control, firefly. I'm being consumed by something I never asked for, and it's ridiculous because she didn't even remember my name."

The gentle chuckle surprised him. He glanced at Rei, and she flicked his nose. "Oh, peacock. You never saw how fast and hard the rest of us fell. It may've taken a while for any of us to admit it, and yes, we all had to work through problems and issues, but this entire group has a tendency to know their match. My grandfather would've said that it's because soul recognizes soul, my mother would've said that it was the red string of fate tying us to that person, but it all means the same thing; we know who we're supposed to be with. If she's your match, it'll work out. Don't worry." Her smile warmed him. "It seems to me that you two would make a good pair." She flicked his nose again in warning. "But, she has her own problems, and if you hurt her I'll kick your ass, got it?"

He offered her a wry grin. "Yeah, I got it." He let out a whoosh of air, and glanced at her again. "So, any insider hints?" His grin crooked upwards sincerely, and she laughed before gesturing him down so she could mutter conspiratorial pointers in his ear.

000

He'd sat next to her at lunch, hoping to be able to involve her in some conversation, but she intently ignored him after he'd startled her again. He hadn't meant to…much. Really. The entire time she sat there so stiffly he wanted to reach over and hug her shoulders, and would've, if he didn't think it would have earned him a shriek and a slap rather than a smile. He was about to give up for today as they finished up lunch without her talking to him any more than she absolutely had to, when someone said something about the beach. His ears perked, and when the pretty blonde at Kenta's side, Minako, he thought, suggested they all meet at the beach he could've almost shouted with glee. Another chance! Plus, the advantage of getting to see her in a bathing suit… Oh, yes, this was going to be a long, interesting day.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. My uncle died on Thursday, and I've been rather sick, so it all just didn't add up to having a chapter done. To make up for it, this is a longer chapter than normal, and I'll have another short out soon. Thank you for your patience. Also, you will be seeing more angst as we go. Ami and Zane are both damaged, and you see more of it in Ami this chapter. Yes, there will be angst, but yes, I do believe in happy endings, don't worry._

The room was scattered with clothing; a shirt draped carelessly over the chair at the desk, several pairs of pants and a skirt tossed onto the desk itself, and various items littered over the floor. Ami watched in amazement from her bed as Rei pulled out yet another outfit, discarded it with a shake of her head and a frown, and dove back into her closet to find something else.

"Rei," she braved tentatively, "I had an outfit picked out, and I only have the one swimsuit, so…" The violent violet glare that shot her way stopped Ami mid-sentence. "Or…you could pick something out for me to wear, that would be good, too…please don't kill me."

"Ames, sweetie, I love you, but you can't keep wearing that tired old one-piece! You just wear that bikini I gave you, okay? I know it'll fit, and it's so cute! You'll look great! But, we need to find something you can wear over it to look all sexy and hot for any studs we might see on the beach." Rei smirked at her, and raised a brow suggestively. "Right?"

Ami nearly choked. "Rei! You know I don't date anymore! I have no interest in your so-called studs!"

Rei regarded her solemnly, the fire in those deep amethyst eyes concerned. "I know you don't date anymore…but I don't know why. Why aren't you interested, Ami?"

The chill of memory seeped into her being, and she turned her head, unwilling to meet Rei's gaze. "Have I ever told you why I took up photography?" It was easier to fiddle with the fabric on the edge of her bed than look at the woman now beside her. "In photography, you're capturing the moment. There is no past; only the one, single moment that you have in your hands. There is no future. Just the now. It's contained within itself, with no reasons, nothing. It just is. That's why. I don't want the past, I don't want the future, I just want to exist in the now with no strings, no attachments other than those that have already bound me. The memories I hold, the possibilities before me, none of those matter so much as just right now, just living through this. That's all I want. Just to live through it."

She was startled when arms encircled her, and only then realized that there was a tear running down her cheek. A small movement and she had the tear poised on her finger, a glazed, cold look in her eyes. "I'm tired of being betrayed. I won't go through that again; not ever." Ami pushed up and out of the arms around her, and started to stride out of her room, the latest outfit from Rei dangling from her hand.

"Ami… You used to be so much more forgiving…what happened?" Rei reached out to her in a gesture of pleading, looking for the girl her friend once was.

Ami looked down at her fist, only now noticing that she had dug her fingernails into the palm, the edges forming pale crescents. "Forgiveness only allows people to betray you again. That was a lesson I won't soon forget, as you should know."

The wince from Rei almost made Ami regret her words, but then she turned and fled to the bathroom, clothes clutched in trembling hands. Once in the seashell decorated room, she leaned against the door and shattered. The memories she had suppressed for so long came crashing back, overfilling her heart with searing pain.

_Rei, telling her that she thought she might know someone she'd like to meet, and that he was a great guy, and maybe he could take her mind off her mother for while…it was worth a shot, right?_

_Whispered words of love and loyalty that she was all too willing to listen to, sweet venom that dripped into her ears and over her yearning heart. He was exactly what she thought she wanted, and she felt as if she could sing, like in that silly musical Cinderella, "I have found you, I have found you…"_

_Crying in the rain as she walked home from the confrontation, her soul reft from her by his cruel, bitter words, asking her how he could want anyone so cold, so frigid, when he could find so many others warm and willing. Her own broken pleading echoing in her ears with his ruthless massacre of her very heart. _

_His arms, solid and comforting as he apologized, told her that he was wrong, that he'd never felt for anyone like he felt for her. Accepting him back, glad to not be alone anymore, willing at that point to take anything over the loneliness that had squeezed the breath from her._

_Finally realizing that he would never change when she saw him with the sparkling brunette on his arm. Running until the pounding of her blood overshadowed the sound of his mocking laughter. Breaking down until she could fall no further, retreating until there was only a shade of the trusting girl she had been, and swearing that no one would ever do this to her again. _

She caught the sob before it was fulfilled, and stuffed the virulent memories back into the corner of her mind. The calm that wrapped around her was brittle and icy, but it was enough. She used it to get through dressing and getting out the door, and no one commented on her silence, though she garnered a few strange looks from Usagi and Makoto. Minako seemed a bit distracted, and Rei refused to meet her eyes, which was just as well. Now if only she could hold the mask until it was time to go home…and if only she wasn't distracted by a certain strawberry blond who just might have the ability to get past her armor…

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Zane was excited. He had his best looking swim shorts, his most flattering white button-up shirt that emphasized his tan skin, and some of the hints that Rei had given him up his sleeve. He would win her, he knew it! He refused to look at his reasons, focusing only on how he would do it. He would be charm itself this afternoon, impressing her with his intellect and witty sense of humor. He would use anything in his arsenal to snare her.

"Zane! Are you ready yet?! We were supposed to leave half an hour ago! The girls will be waiting! Dammit, it you're not out here in the next five seconds we're leaving without you, do you hear me!?"

He chuckled at the aggravation in Jad's voice, then sauntered out, his towel flung over his shoulder in a very debonair way. At least, in his mind.

"I'm ready. Let's get to the beach."

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Makoto cornered Rei as everyone started setting up the blankets and umbrellas, shaking out her emerald blanket right next to Rei's crimson one. "Rei," she murmured, "what's wrong with you and Ami? I haven't seen her look like that in two years, not since Urawa. What did you say that made her so cold again?"

Rei glared. "Why does it have to be something I said?" At Mako's wry glance, Rei sighed and hung her head. "Look, I just want her to be happy, that's all any of us want, right? Well, I was trying to help her look cute for this afternoon, 'cause Zane is going to be here and I know for a fact that he's interested, and it's not like Urawa, I swear, it's not, Zane's been my friend for a long time now, he's been there for me and Jad all the time, and I know him! He's a good man, Mako, and I think they'd make a good match of it."

Now it was Makoto's turn to sigh. "Rei…I know you mean well, but don't push her. You're right, we all want her to be happy, but if you push her the only thing she's going to see is you shoving her into another relationship, and she won't be able to see how this one could be different. If you want them to have a chance, stay out of it. Okay?" She smiled to take the edge off her words. "Besides, I thought we left matchmaking to Mina?"

Rei gave a reluctant chuckle. "Yeah… I guess you're right, but I just wish…"

"She would find what we have now? So do the rest of us, hun." Mako glanced over at where Ami was opening her sunshade and sighed again. "But who are we to tell her how to find it? She'll work her way there. She's stronger than she thinks."

"Yeah." Rei nodded, and turned to look at Mako with a wry smile. "I just hope she realizes that soon."

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The sand was warm as she buried her toes in it, the slight breeze ruffling her short hair. The scent of the ocean was rich in the air, and Ami drew in a breath with pleasure. A seagull cried overhead, a pale shape against the perfect blue of the sky. She let the breath out gently and closed her eyes.

"She's sorry, you know."

Blue eyes flew open again and looked at the blonde now seated next to her on her blanket before turning resigned. "I know, Usa."

Usagi wrapped her arms around her knees, her own clear blue eyes on Ami. Her bikini was a cheerful yellow with white daisies spattered over it, and Ami had the inane thought that it was just like her personality; bright and lovely. Usa gave her a small smile and continued, "Then why don't you forgive her?"

That earned a startled look. "Usa… I do. It's not Rei I can't forgive." Ami turned her face away, discomforted by this sudden interest. "Please, can we not talk about this? We're supposed to be having fun, right?"

A soft pat on her knee twisted her head around so that she could look at her best friend as Usagi spoke. "Yeah. So when are you going to start having some fun? Ames, let it go. It wasn't your fault either. You can make mistakes…I mean, look at how long it took Mamo and me to finally get together!" Her silvery laugh was contagious enough to draw an answering one from Ami. "Hun, let go. If you fall again, so what? You know we'll catch you and help you back to your feet. That's what we're here for, after all."

Ami slowly nodded. "Yeah…"

Usagi beamed at her, sunshine personified, then gave her a tight, warm hug. "Think about it, okay? I know it isn't something that you can just decide on, especially since it's you, our little brainiac. We just want you to find whatever it is you're looking for, Ames. Love ya." With that she bounced off too fast for Ami to reply, leaving confusion and bemusement in her wake.

"Well," Ami said to herself, "that's Usa for you." She gave a small, private smile. _And I suppose I can think about it. After all, ignoring it hasn't worked very well, so maybe if I just dip my toes back in the dating pool... _She let go a miniscule sigh, hardly above a whisper, and closed her eyes, contemplating Usa's advice.

"Hey, are you afraid of the water or what? Don't you wanna swim?"

Annoyed at being interrupted in her thoughts yet again, she looked up before she thought, only to be confronted by playful eyes the color of the deep forest. "Ah..." She clutched instinctively at the tiny shirt that Rei had given her, trying to cover the even tinier bikini. Her one thought as she stared up into Zane's smiling face and tried not to ogle his chest, which was bared by a very flattering shirt that was all the way open, was _Oh, shit, talk about getting thrown in the deep end..._

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Zane watched as she set up her little sunbathing spot and as Usagi talked and laughed with her, but he couldn't stand it anymore when he saw her little smile appear and disappear. He didn't know what was going through her head at that point, but he hoped that he could tease that smile back to her lips at least once. Just to see. Maybe to taste. He shook his head slightly. _Bad Zane, bad Zane!_ But the grin that surfaced at the thought wouldn't go away. _Oh, well_, he thought, _maybe if I'm lucky_. He remembered Rei telling him that Ami loved to swim, and wondered why she wasn't already in the water. A little bit away Kenta and Minako splashed happily, the couple chasing each other up and down the beach.

Zane had to suppress another grin; Kenta really loosened up around his lady-fair. He didn't think he'd ever seen the platinum-haired barrister so relaxed and...boisterous, in the entire time he'd known him. Of course, that'd only been for about  
month. He smiled as he recalled exactly when he'd met the stoic attorney; Rei had needed to be picked up for some girl-thing or other, and Minako and Kenta had come to get her. His first impression of the man had been more of a _whoah, intimidating_, than anything else. His second impression was _shit, helluva stare on that one_! All in all, Kenta made a very...impressive impression. Still, Kenta wasn't who he wanted to contemplate at this time.

He headed over to her and took a moment to drink in her presence once more. He didn't know why, but every time he was near her he felt...not intoxicated, that was too formal. More...sloshed. Smashed, dizzy with something he didn't want to name. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, crush her to him so that she became more a part of him than his own skin. He wanted...dear god, he _wanted_. Terrified of that overwhelming need, he clamped down on his passion and pasted on his most roguish smile. _Play it off, boy, play it off_, he reminded himself, telling himself that he could certainly distance himself from any woman; after all, hadn't he kept his heart shut away tight after Marja?

"Hey, are you afraid of the water or what? Don't you wanna swim?" He tossed out the challenge casually as he tried desperately to hide his roiling emotions. Her eyes were wide and bluer than the ocean as she stared at him. He indulged himself and ran his own eyes over her as she gaped. A dark green half shirt that buttoned up the front ineffectively attempted to cover the black and green bikini top underneath, while a short sarong hung about her hips and revealed the barest hint of the swimsuit bottoms it was supposed to hide. Quite a tasty little morsel, to his mind.

He mentally shook himself and brought himself back to the task at hand: the enticement of this little nymph into the water. She couldn't seem to grasp her speaking skills very well, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. "Come on, little naiad, let's go play in the ocean!" Her wrist felt delicate under his palm as he snagged her, lifting her to her feet in one smooth movement. She stumbled against him, and he relished her warmth against his chest for a moment before righting her and leading her towards the waves.

When he glanced back at her, her cheeks were flushed, and her mouth was tight, though not as if she were mad. More, it looked like she was trying to hide a smile, which made his cheeks dimple. Her laughter rang sweet and breathless as she gave in. Zane felt a brief pang as she pulled away, the heat of her skin under his hand a distinct loss. However, he was more than happy to release her when he saw that she'd reclaimed her hand so that she could shed her shirt and sarong. The scraps of cloth were now fluttering towards the beach as she waded out and then leapt into the waves. He stared for a moment, trying to see where she'd gone, then grinned as she surfaced, still laughing, a respectable distance away in the water.

"Alright sprite, have it your way! I'm coming in after you, though!" He tossed his shirt carelessly after her clothes, then plunged into the ocean to give chase.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Ah_… Comfortable in her element, the water surrounded her with a silken embrace as she slipped through it easily. Ami had always loved to swim, but somehow being in the ocean always made it better. The pulse of the waves, the caress of the water, all of it added up to one thing; bliss. She'd almost forgotten how it felt to be carried away on the soft swell of a wave, or to feel weightless and free. And I would probably have stayed up on the beach if it hadn't been for Zane… In point of fact, she saw as she surfaced briefly, her liberator was currently trying to follow her out. She giggled, the sound burbling up out of her before she could help it.

Being in the water had infinitely lifted her mood. She felt washed clean, rocked in gentle arms. The ocean had the ability to clear her head of all negativity; a fact for which she was profoundly grateful right now. She frisked in and out of the waves, playing like a child. Her body twisted, turned, twirled as she frolicked, joy suffusing her body at the touch of the water. Her laughter bubbled out of her again as Zane clumsily tried to keep up with her, and a spark of mischief ignited.

"Too slow, landbound!" she teased him as she flipped an indolent hand his way. "Never gonna catch me!" She dove under, curving her body around his briefly, then shooting off when he tried to grasp at her. Water sparkled as she threw her head back and shook her hair out of eyes that now gleamed. His laughter warmed her, the rich sound peaking in her chest. They played "chase me, catch me," for a bit, before Zane surrendered and flopped down at the edge of the ocean, wavelets lapping at his feet. Ami burbled another laugh at that, and gamboled a bit more before coming in to sit next to him.

"Thanks," she murmured as they sat and watched the others playing or lounging as the whim took them. When he glanced at her, green eyes curious, she met his look and continued, "For getting me out into the water. I'd almost forgotten how good that feels."

His grin stopped her heart briefly. "No worries. You looked like you needed some fun." His friendly face went a long way in restoring her mood, which slightly unnerved her. Too much, too fast…

She let her gaze fall, allowed her eyes to wander once more to the ocean. "I did. Thank you, Zane." His quiet acceptance of her words was enough to soothe her.

After that moment of candor, Ami was relieved that he didn't push for more, but was content to settle into a rather tranquil conversation of small talk. As they spoke, the sun crept slowly lower in the sky, unnoticed by them both.

"Ami! Zane! C'mon, we're all going out to dinner!" The call from Minako startled them both, and they turned as one to look in amazement at their friends gathered behind them, all grinning. Ami glanced at Zane, a blush faint on her cheeks, and noticed with a slight smile that his own cheeks were slightly colored as well. Apparently neither of them had paid attention to the time.

"We're coming along." Ami looked up as Zane rose and extended a hand to her. "Right, Ami?" Emerald eyes danced with amusement as they shone down at her.

She smiled up at him slightly, and placed her hand in his. His double meaning was rather obvious, but she was in a good enough frame of mind to not object, especially since she wasn't sure he was wrong. So, as he lifted her to her feet, she answered him in kind. "Right, Zane."

_Well, maybe the deep end isn't so bad_…she thought momentarily, before Usa and Mina linked arms with her as they walked off, chattering. She let the thought fade as her friends carried her away, their voices mixing and harmonizing happily. _At least I can swim…_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N- Hi everybody. Sorry this took so long, but it's very long. I'm not sure yet whether that's a good or a bad thing, but it is a fact. Much more action, and yes, I'm evil. Mwuahaha! Anyway, standard disclaimer, plus the lyrics from Imogen Heap's song "The Walk" are also not mine. Those are the words in both bold and italics. Thank you for being patient with me, and enjoy! Remember, I love reviews!_

_000_

As she was tugged along by Mina and Usagi, Ami, feeling incredibly light-hearted, interjected a question into their banter. "Guys, don't we need to go home and change before going to dinner?"

Mina grinned at her, blue eyes happy and sparkling. She tossed her wheaten mane and let go a chiming peal of laughter. "Silly Ami, we're going to a crab shack, so we'll fit in just fine in our beachwear! Besides, you know how messy crab gets, so it's better to be in these kinds of clothes anyway; I wouldn't want to ruin a good outfit with melted butter and seafood juice." To emphasize her point she brushed a hand over her burnt-sienna off-the-shoulder top and matching sarong. "These'll bounce back from a little drippage just fine, and if they don't, they're much easier to replace. Besides, we'll change for the club afterwards."

A nod from Usagi as she chimed in sent her golden tresses afly. "Yeah! Oh, it's gonna be tasty, Ames. Mamo and I have been there before, and it was _sooo_ yummy. Plus, we all get to wear the cutest little bibs! It'll be a blast! We'll look all sexy for the club, of course, but for now these are good." She preened briefly, and shot a look full of mischief at Ami. "And I think I look cute like this, don't you?"

Ami laughed and made a show of admiring her. "Yes, Usa, you look adorable." Which, as a matter of fact, she did. The royal blue shrug she had on was perfect with her sunny swimsuit, and she was also wearing a sarong the color of her eyes.

Rei came up on them and snorted. "You _have _to look adorable, Usa, since it's the only thing you _can _do." The violet eyed virago snickered at the indignant expression now plastered on Usagi's face. "Oh, unless you count whining. That you can do, too."

Ami stifled her own chuckle as she watched Usa turn a very interesting shade of cherry red before boiling over with a tea-kettle shriek. "_REI!_ _You take that back!_" An eruption of sapphire and sunflower yellow launched towards the raven-haired spitfire, who fled to the dubious safety of Jad's arms with a gleeful laugh.

"Jad! You let me at her! Now!!" Usagi tried futilely to grab a scrap of Rei's crimson shirt as the instigator of it all dodged and ducked behind her boyfriend.

"Nyah! You couldn't catch me anyway, Meatball Head!" Rei stuck out her tongue and made a face at the incensed blonde, eliciting another screech of fury and renewed efforts.

Jad raised both hands soothingly. "Now, now girls, let's not fight. C'mon, you two, we all want to eat in peace." He looked at Usa and smiled. "I know Rei's a bit of a firecracker, but you love her anyway, right?"

Usagi nodded sullenly, and muttered, "Some of the time…"

"Good!" Jad grinned, then turned to look at his girlfriend, who was still behind him making faces at Usagi. "And you, my love…" Rei smirked at the endearment. "Need to keep your luscious mouth shut."

Rei gaped at him as everyone laughed, then let loose a banshee cry and smacked Jad with a resounding _whap, _before starting to rant at him. "Jadrick Fulsi, how _dare _you tell _me _to sh—mmph!"

Ami flushed and chuckled as Jad stoppered Rei's mouth with his own, averting her eyes. Unexpectedly, her gaze met Zane's, and her flush deepened. His eyes seemed to smolder, and the heat in her cheeks burned. She quickly tore her own eyes away, and smiled a bit desperately at Minako. _That man is too attractive for my own good… _Luckily the blonde seemed oblivious to Ami's discomfort, and returned the smile while she linked their arms. "Come on, Ames; let's just leave them to make up. Walk with me?"

Ami nodded, noting briefly that everyone else had already resumed walking to the restaurant. "Sure, Mina." Minako leaned against her, and Ami found herself smiling slightly at the blatant show of affection. Even after all these years, she sometimes marveled that she had such friends. As much as they could fight, as different as they all were, there was a bond there that all of them knew would never be broken. _But they're all connected to more than just each other now, aren't they? They have people to share their futures with, and what do you have? Photography? There's a poor second for you…_ Ami clamped down on that thought immediately, biting back the hard bitterness behind it. _That's not fair; how could I ever begrudge them happiness?_ But the voice, the thought, wouldn't be silent. It insinuated itself into her denial, snaked through her mind. _But you'll still be the one standing alone, left behind and lost once again…_

"Ami."

Ami blinked. Broken out of her darkening reflections, she stared at the woman looking at her in concern, obviously having said her name several times, not recognizing her for a second. Then reality once again made sense, and she answered sheepishly, abashed that she had been so caught up in herself that she'd ignored her friend. "Oh, sorry Mina, did you say something?"

Blue eyes studied her somberly for a moment, seemed to take her measure even as an odd emotion appeared to glimmer briefly in their depths. "Mm." Ami was pierced strangely by the gaze, felt as if she were laid bare before it. "Ami, what do you want from life?"

She was startled. What was it with everyone and the all the questions? _And what a question… What do I want from life? I used to know… I had my life all laid out, didn't I? Go to school, get the grades, become a doctor, dedicate myself to healing people… I lost all of that, flung my plans out the window. Now I just live day to day, not looking to the future, trying too hard not to remember the past. _She looked at Mina, who gazed back steadily, waiting for her answer. _I don't know… Not anymore. _

Ami sighed and answered, "I don't really know, Mina. I want what everyone wants, I guess; to be happy." She knew it wasn't a real answer, but it was all she had. _Please, just accept that…_

Sapphire met sky as Mina confronted her with another question. "And what will make you happy?"

A soft, sardonic laugh escaped her before she could restrain it, but she tried on a smile for Minako's sake. "Does anyone know that? I'm sure I'll know it when it happens."

"Will you?" Mina murmured, her voice low and troubled. Ami barely hid her shock; that wasn't the reaction she expected. But then the moment was gone and Minako was all smiles and sunshine again. Ami glanced at her from the corner of her eye, still wondering, as Mina perked up and started burbling over. "Oh, look, Ames, we're almost there! You know, Usa was right, their crab really is _delicious. _Oh, and the surf'n'turf is just to die for, and the lobster! Mmmm, the lobster… It's kinda expensive, but Kenta says-" She let Minako's words flow over her, and kept walking, but she was once more lost in thought. _Will I…?_

000

"Zane, c'mon, let's sit over here!" Jad dragged him along like a cat on a leash, Zane trying to extract his arm from the overly excited grip to no effect.

"Jad, dammit, leggo, man!" Zane scowled and tried harder as he saw Ami seating herself at the other end of the table with Minako.

Suddenly, there was Kenta. Without a word the tall man extracted Zane's arm and led him away from a gape-mouthed Jad. "We're sitting here," Kenta stated simply as he gave Zane a speaking glance. Zane just nodded, dumb for the moment, and sat across from Ami. The delicate object of his affection turned a curious eye on him, but was distracted a moment later by the loquacious blonde by her side.

He was happy just to be near her. And that, frankly, was something that made him rather nervous. To cover that, he made conversation with Kenta, who incorporated both Mina and Ami into the conversation seamlessly. As the meal progressed without incident, Zane relaxed a bit, and began to enjoy talking with them all. He and Kenta discovered several similar interests, such as boating and philosophy, and Minako shared his passion for clothes; not surprising in a fashion designer, but still a delightful plus. Ami joined into a debate between himself and Kenta about the lyrical writings of Khalil Gibran and their religious influence.

Zane was surprised to find himself having a wonderful time getting to know these people more; not just Ami, but also Minako, and even Kenta- though he and the man beside him had spoken before, it had not been as easy and friendly as it was now. He and Jad were close, but they'd known each other for years now. This was an ease that he hadn't expected, a feeling of belonging that he'd never known he missed. Jad had always wanted to bring him into this group, but he'd resisted…and now he couldn't remember why.

_I…don't have many friends, not really. I work, and I hang out with Jad and sometimes Rei, but that's mostly it. Well, and my dates. Lots of dates. I have a booming social life…but no real friends. Partying with people is not the same as having people to just be with. I'm almost never alone, but this is different. This is…nice. _He looked around the table, and marveled at these people and how close they all were. Usagi and Rei laughed about something, with Jad grinning at them both and Mamoru looking on with an indulgent expression, Makoto leaned against Naoki as they shared a smile and a bite of Naoki's steak, and Ami and Kenta both chuckled at Mina as she wiped at a bit of butter she'd dripped on her bib. He smiled to himself. _I think I like this. _

As he smiled, Minako glanced up and caught his eye, and he transferred the smile to her, letting it widen to a grin when she returned it. "Thinking good thoughts?" She teased him, her sparkling beam lighting her face.

He nodded, and included the other two looking at him in his grin. "Yeah, as a matter of fact I am." Both Ami and Kenta smiled at him, and he laughed, just glad to be there. "Good food, and I'm looking forward to tonight." The mention of the fun to be had tonight was enough to send Mina off on a story of one of the times she'd finagled Kenta into going to a club with her, and as she detailed their adventure he let his eyes wander over to Ami, noting how her mouth curved in a sweet smile, how her head inclined towards Mina as she listened, and he felt content.

000

"Ami! Are you dressed?" Usagi popped her head into the room, grinning from ear to ear. When she saw Ami was almost clothed, she bounded into the room as her hair trailed behind her, the silvery blonde mass constrained in her usual odangos. Her outfit was impeccably lovely, a halter of shimmering white sequins over pale rose capris and matching strappy heels. Ami pulled on the lace shirt that Mina had given her, a black scrap of fabric called a Romance top, and wondered a bit desperately how she was supposed to fit in with such splendor. She wrinkled her nose, exasperated at how little it covered, and mused that only Mina would name something Romance.

"Ames, you look _gorgeous!_ Wow!" Usa spun her around and gazed at her with a huge grin. "Mina helped you with the clothes right? That girl has great taste! Okay, now sit down, Mako will be here in a second with the make-up and we'll refine your beauty, okay? Don't worry, we're not going to do much, just put a light dusting of anti-shine mineral veil over that perfect skin of yours-so jealous!-maybe some eyeshadow, a little blush, eyeliner, and lipstick! 'Kay?" Usa bubbled as she ushered Ami over to her vanity and seated her in front of the mirror without giving her a chance to say a word. Just as Ami settled in and opened her mouth to respond, Mako peeked around the corner.

"You decent? Good!" Makoto stepped in with a makeup bag in one hand, and Ami gaped.

"Mako! My god, you look fantastic!" Ami exclaimed as she marveled at Mako.

Mako preened and looked smug, showing off the little black dress. The sides were cut out and emphasized her slim waist and muscular stomach; the hem came to mid-thigh and displayed her long legs wonderfully. Short heels completed the look, giving her legs a slender line while not adding too much to her height. With her hair pulled back in auburn curls, she was a vision of elegance.

"Yea? Think Naoki'll like it?" Makoto asked innocently, her viridian eyes full of mischief.

Ami laughed, a burble of amusement. "You know very well that he'll be beside himself and drooling, greenthumb."

Mako gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. "You know it, shutterbug!" She then strode over and deposited the bag. "Now let's make you breathtaking!"

The two girls set to with a will, and Ami sat back and let them work their magic, giggling a little as the brushes spread ticklish little butterfly kisses all over her skin. _Well, here we go… I hope I don't make a fool of myself. Especially in front of Zane… _She suppressed a sigh and shoved her doubts to the back of her mind, hoping that if she ignored them they'd go away. Or at least leave her alone for a while.

000

The club pulsed with people, the air heavy with music and body heat. Flickering lights gave everything a dreamy feel, as if they'd stepped out of reality for the night. Tables were surrounded by laughing people in all manner of dress, the bar full of men and women drinking and watching the ones out on the dance floor. The dance floor itself was a mass of bodies, all moving to the same rhythm, as if they shared a heartbeat. Ami fidgeted with the hem of her short jacket, unsure and nervous, the silver fabric twisting under her fingers.

"C'mon, shutterbug, let's dance while Mako's grabbing drinks!" Naoki flashed a grin at her and pulled her with him even as she sputtered protest and stared in disbelief at the back of his maroon shirt. Her heels made an uneven clicking as she stumbled after him, Mina and Rei laughing and joining them while Usa trailed after Mako and the other guys went to find a table. Ami turned pleading eyes to Rei, who looked like she belonged in this trendy club in her vibrant red mini-dress with the lace inset across her flat stomach, but Rei-traitor!-just gave her a wicked smile and grabbed her other hand to help Naoki drag her along.

"Time to loosen up, Ames!" With that, they were out on the floor, and Ami could feel the throb of the music in her sternum. Naoki released her, as did Rei, and all three of them, including Mina, began to dance. Ami glanced at Mina as her thick mane of hair was tossed in gleeful freedom. The blonde was gorgeous, wearing a dress similar to Rei's, but in a golden, shimmering material and no lace. Ami felt distinctly out of place even though she'd let the girls dress her up in this outfit, but it looked like so much fun as they just let go and danced… _Alright, _she decided, _like Rei said, time to loosen up. I can't be serious all the time, and I'm tired of being the stick in the mud. Here goes!_

At first she was only moving tentatively, but as Naoki danced beside her and Rei and Mina danced around her, she started to feel a bit freer, and lost herself to the music, letting it sweep her away. _Thrum thrum, thrum thrum, _the bass line seemed to echo her heartbeat as she began to allow the music to guide her, feeling as if the beat was merely finding its own expression through her body. Tendrils of melody ran up her spine, down her arms, and escaped out her fingertips, leaving an invigorating tingling in their wake. Conscious thought was gone, replaced by music and movement, reaction and revelation. Restraint was gone, nervousness and inhibition thrown out to make room for wild abandon and the joy of immersive sensation.

Her attention was so caught up in the motion of her body that she barely noticed when Jad and Usa joined them, partnering with Rei and Mina respectively; she _was_ peripherally aware of Naoki as he danced with her, but it was a fuzzy knowledge at best, as she only knew in that she made sure she didn't run into him. At some point she realized that she didn't have her jacket on anymore, but when she caught a glimpse of Naoki weaving through the crowd with a scrap of silver in his hands she relaxed, even as she vaguely noted that he wasn't beside her anymore.

000

They finally had a table after waiting for a large group to finally leave. Claim was laid, orders were placed, and Jad and Usagi headed out to the dance floor where they could see Naoki, Rei, Mina, and Ami. Zane attempted not to stare too much, but it was almost impossible. _My god she looks amazing…_ She'd lost her jacket at one point or another-_ah, wait, there's Naoki coming with it_-and was now clad only in black; a lace top that bared a bit of bare stomach and sleek pants that melded to her curves in a way that made him jealous. Her skin looked incredibly creamy and pale against the darkness of her clothing, and the contrast was amazing. Her friends had done something to her hair that made it look like feathers, or maybe as if she was a flower of some kind. Anyway, she looked fantastic.

He sighed, and took his shot of Blue Dolphine. It slid down cool and easy, the hit of alcohol sweet-tart with pineapple. The flavor invaded his senses, and the rum and curaçao burned heat into his blood. He glanced at the glass in surprise; that was good! "Hey," he prodded Kenta, "what did you get to drink?"

The silver-haired man glanced at him, and lifted his glass to look at it. "I think the bartender said it was a Slow Screw." Kenta studied the liquid for a moment. "I believe it has orange juice in it, as well as vodka and gin." His friend glanced at him, grey-green eyes inscrutable. "What did you get?"

Zane regarded his now empty glass with a grin. "The bartender called it a Blue Dolphine. Pineapple, rum, and blue curaçao. I think I'm going to go get another one, in fact." His eyes flicked over to where Ami was still dancing, and he gave another slight sigh. _If she were more comfortable with me, I would go dance with her…_

As he rose Kenta reached out and gripped his wrist. "Zane."

Emerald eyes wide, Zane looked at him. Kenta looked somber-well, Kenta always looked pretty somber, but this was rather more so than usual. Zane felt a twisting in his gut, uneasy. "Yeah?"

A slight smile played around Kenta's lips, softening the normally hard planes of his face. "Go dance."

Zane stared at him. _How the hell…? _"What? I was going to go get another drink…" That earned him a sardonic look and a quirked brow. Translation: 'You know damned well you want to go and dance with her, so go do it, you fool. Unless, of course, you'd rather skip the chance and then explode in a blinding rage when another man tries to move in, blowing all the good you've done today towards getting her to accept you by being a jealous asshole.' Zane scowled. "How is it that you say more than anyone I know without saying a damn thing?"

Kenta smiled serenely. "It's a talent."

"Talent my ass, you must practice in the mirror or something, smug son of a bitch, think you knows everything, yeah, well…" Zane stalked off towards the dance floor muttering under his breath. As he passed Naoki the chestnut haired man gave him a grin and a thumbs up.

"I want a drink, and Ames doesn't have a partner; you gonna go dance with her?"

Zane shrugged, a bit nervous. "If she doesn't mind, I guess." _Dammit, this woman has me all turned around! I'm not normally this disconcerted about anything, much less a female._

The sympathetic look from Naoki almost made him scream. _And apparently it's blatantly obvious how unsettled I am. _"I doubt she'll mind; she's pretty focused on dancing right now. Go have fun, huh? And…" Naoki's expression turned enigmatic, and he moved closer, his voice lowered. "Look, just…don't get discouraged, okay? Take it gently, but keep at it. If I'm reading her right-and I normally do-she'll respond. You're a good guy, Zane. She'll see it." With that, Naoki slipped away to the table, where he hung Ami's jacket over a chair and sat next to Mako, murmuring something in her ear. Zane was dumbfounded. What was with all this support? Mind, he wasn't going to complain…at least, not yet. Not until it got to the "too helpful" stage. Then he'd have to put his foot down, but this, this was…nice. It was good to know that he had people rooting for him.

With a new determination he made his way to her side, hope a fever blooming in his chest.

000

The current song merged into a new one, one of Ami's favorite Imogen Heap songs, _The Walk_. Her eyes flew open in pleasure, the melody washing over her as the rhythm soaked into her heart and the lyrics cascaded around her.

_**Inside out, upside down, twisting beside myself. Stop that now, 'cause you and I were never meant to meet. I think you'd better leave, it's not safe in here, I feel a weakness coming on.**_

_**Alright then, I can keep your number for a rainy day, that's where this ends, no mistakes no misbehaving. Oh, I was doing so well, could we just be friends? I feel a weakness coming on.**_

_**It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all. I don't want to feel like this, hey yea. It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all. I don't want to feel like this, so that makes it all your fault.**_

She was rolling up out of a dip when she was suddenly, strikingly aware of the body beside her. Clad in a soft-looking shirt of a forest green so deep it almost looked black and fitted dark blue jeans, Zane was close enough for her to smell the light spice and musk scent of him through the dense air. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart stuttered. _Oh…_

His eyes locked with hers, and she was lost all over again, this time in emerald depths that seemed to go on forever. She swayed towards him, and then they were moving in a harmony so perfect that it was transcendental. Two bodies matched to one heartbeat mirrored each other in complete synchronization, barely a hair's breath between them.

_**Inside out, upside down, twisting beside myself. Stop that now, you're as close as it gets without touching me. Oh, now, don't make it harder, than it already is. Mm, I feel a weakness coming on.**_

He leaned forward, she leaned back; she slipped to the side, he slid to the other; he dropped a shoulder, she raised hers. The distance between them halved, then halved again.

_**It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all. I don't want to feel like this, hey yea. It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all. I don't want to feel like this, so that makes it all your fault. **_

They spun, twisted, turned, dipped. Ami couldn't have taken her eyes off him if she tried…and she had no desire to try. Not now. Not when this felt so good, so right, warmth that spread from her chest into her limbs. And all the while, his eyes captivated her with a kind of fire she'd never seen before.

_**Trouble, losing control, primary resistance at a critical low. On the double gotta get a hold, point of no return one second to go. No response on any level, red alert this vessel's under siege, total overload, all system down, they've got control. There's no way out, we are surrounded. Give in, give in, and relish every minute of it.**_

He was so close she could taste his breath, the sweet tropical tang of it sliding over her tongue as he bent over her, shimmering green filling her vision.

_**Freeze, or make it forever...**_

_**I feel a weakness coming on…**_

Suddenly he pulled her against him, and she was startled out of her reverie by the contact. The heat of his body seared through her, and she stared up at him out of huge blue eyes, her hands braced against his chest. Her heart raced frantically and tried to leap out of her chest; she panted slightly in panic. _Too much too much too much…!_

He leaned down, and she froze, heart abruptly still. His lips a whisper away, he paused, and she waited, petrified, unsure of what to do. Then lightning shot through her as those lips poised above her own descended, brushed against hers in the lightest of meetings. _Ah! _Involuntarily she pressed back as craving rose in her chest, overwhelmed her rationality. He broke the contact after the merest moment, and she, wild-eyed, raised a hand to her lips. They burned, tingled with something she didn't want to name. Now completely beyond reason or thought she fled, stumbled through the crowd to the bathroom without looking back for fear of wanting to return, too distraught to notice that Rei, Mina, and Usagi had stopped dancing and followed her._  
_

_**It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all. I don't want to feel like this, hey yea. It's not mean to be like this, it's just what I don't need! Why make me feel like this? It's definitely all your fault.**_

She tumbled into the restroom and nearly fell against the wall. Her breath came in frantic sobs as she tried to calm herself, tried to tell herself that it didn't mean anything, that he'd been swept up in the moment and didn't mean to really kiss her. Her fingers found her lips again, touched the lingering burn of where his had been. The realization flooded into her, drowned her in its terrible clarity. _Oh god, I want him! _Fear crested in her; she'd never wanted anyone like this before, not even Ryo. Her feelings for him hadn't been this turmoil of desire, hesitation, longing, sweetness, and affection that blazed in her when she thought of Zane. Talking with Zane was intellectually satisfying, his wit and love of knowledge equal to her own, he made her laugh with an ease that surprised her, and this physical attraction…well, it was magnetic, to say the least. _No… _She moaned. _Oh god, I could fall for him too easily…_

"Ames! Ami, are you okay? Honey, are you sick? What happened?" Usa's frantic voice cut through her thoughts as the bathroom door banged open and admitted the three other girls.

She turned to give them a wan smile. _What the hell am I supposed to tell them? "Oh, no, I'm not sick, I was just terrified that I may want a man carnally so I ran away when he kissed me"? Or maybe, "Nah, I'm just coming to terms with the fact that I may actually be attracted to someone and it's scaring the shit out of me, especially the part where when he kissed me, I kissed him back"? _She cleared her throat. "Ah, no, I'm okay, Usa."

She sighed as the three converged on her, and resigned herself to trying to get out of this without too many humiliations.

000

Zane stood where she'd left him and gazed after her as she ran from him. His eyes gleamed with a strange light, and he watched the other three follow her. He licked his lips, and they curved into a slow smile; he'd tasted more than the melon of her lip gloss. "Run if you want, sweetheart," he crooned. "But," His smile grew, became knowing and filled with hunger. "I'm going to remember-you kissed me back."

_000_

_A/N ending-Told you I was evil. Anyway, there it is in all its long-winded glory. Hope you liked it, and please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N- Okay, so this is more like part one of chapter six. Just the scene in the bathroom, but don't worry! Zane's perspective is coming up in the next part, it just needs to be reworked. I had it all written, then decided that I didn't like how it was written, so scrapped it and started over. It will, however, be done. So hopefully I'll have it ready soon. While I'm working on that, please enjoy and review!_

_000_

"Girls, honest, I'm okay." Ami raised her hands to still the multitude of questions pouring from the three, slightly desperate. She knew they meant well, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to talk about what had happened out on the dance floor yet. One golden brow rose as Mina looked at her, concern warring with what looked like apprehension in her face. That apprehension confused Ami briefly, but her attention was captured again by a scowling Rei advancing on her.

A finger tipped with a maroon-painted nail stopped less than an inch from her nose, the woman attached to it giving her a fierce frown. "Racing off the dance floor and bursting into a bathroom is _not _okay, Ami. Now tell us what happened!"

Ami's eyes were nearly crossed as she stared at the tip of Rei's finger. "Rei…"

Usagi shouldered Rei aside and said, "You're not helping, Rei." As the raven-haired virago sputtered, Usagi took Ami's hands in a light grip, the tenderness behind those summer sky eyes nearly undoing the fragile bulwark Ami hid behind. "Ames," she murmured, "Hun, are you really sure you're alright? It's just that you ran away from _something_, and that's not like you at all… It makes me wonder just what went on that could make you so afraid."

Ami's walls crumbled before the gentle force that was her best friend. "Usa…I-"

_BANG! _"AMI!" Makoto surged into the bathroom, a flurry of black dress and long legs. "Ami, oh my god, I saw the kiss, it was so sweet, I thought, but what happened, why'd you run away, did he do something, say something, do you want me to beat him to a pulp or something?"

All four girls gaped at the gasping brunette as she stumbled to a halt and looked at them. A sheepish grin broke out on her face as she took in the shocked look on three girls. "Oh…I guess you hadn't said anything to them…"

The room erupted in noise as Rei yelled about how you tell your best friends these things and how was it and she _knew _it would be a good match and _why _would you run away from that, and Makoto apologized at the top of her lungs and swamped Ami with more questions about what happened and did she like Zane because that would be fantastic, but if she didn't then she would definitely have to hurt him for kissing her if she didn't want it. Usagi came to Ami's defense and was busy scolding both Rei and Makoto about harassing their friend and trying to be heard above them. Ami buried her face in her hands, her cheeks flushed a painful red. _Oh, god, now that's done it… All I need now is for a group of women to walk in to complete my humiliation._

"_**ENOUGH!"**_ Minako's voice thundered over all of them, her golden soubrette voice a sharp whip crack, and froze them instantly. Ami cautiously raised her head and lowered her hands.

"Rei, Makoto, go get us drinks. Now." The command snapped the two women into motion, both of them scrambling for the door to comply.

"Usa, grab a paper towel, dampen it a little, and bring it here, please." Usagi bounded over the sinks.

"Ami." That golden voice softened, and Ami found herself gathered into a warm embrace. "You gotta breathe, honey." Ami realized she'd been holding her breath, and let it go in a whooshing sigh. "That's better." One arm released her briefly and then returned with a coolness pressed against her cheek; Usa must have brought the paper towel. It was only then that she became conscious of the tears coursing down her face. Surprised, she lifted a hand to the one holding the damp towel. "It's okay, Ames, I've got you. Let me dab a little, clean you up, alright?" She nodded and closed her eyes, grateful for friends like Mina and Usa, and yes, Rei and Makoto.

"Thanks, Mina." Her voice came out hoarse, another surprise. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Um, sorry about this."

Mina drew back to look at her, Usagi peering over her shoulder. Both of them looked baffled. "Sorry?" Usa chirped. "Sorry for what?"

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Ames, don't worry about it." Minko glanced around the sitting room, then steered them all towards the couch in the corner, Usagi joining them a moment later. Ami was only vaguely aware of hearing Usa's voice at the door before she was right there again. Once they were all seated, a blonde on either side of Ami, Minako gently cleaned Ami's face and then sat back to give her a good once over. "There, all better. You can't even tell you were crying."

Ami gave her a slight smile. "Thanks, guys."

Usagi nodded. "Never a problem, Ames." Those summer sky eyes darkened a bit. "Now, can you tell us what happened or do you not want to?"

Ami sighed. "You're going to think I'm an idiot…hell, _I _think I'm an idiot…"

Both of the girls laughed, the sound putting her at ease rather than offending her. The compassion and relief in it was too clear for her to take umbrage. "Honey, we're _all _idiots over men. Nothing new, and nothing to be ashamed about." Mina grinned at her. "Love's like that, sweetie. It makes fools of everyone, no matter what." A coquettish wink made Ami giggle weakly, even as she shook her head in protestation. "Remember, Ames, you're talking to the Goddess of Love here!"

Usagi made a face at Mina's declaration. "Goddess of Love my butt. Don't believe a word of that, Ames." The petite blonde shrugged then, and gave her a rueful look. "But she is right about all of us being idiots about men. I mean, look at what the rest of us went through with our guys. _None _of us escaped looking like morons at least a few times. It happens. But, we get over it-mostly."

Her earnest face brought a slight smile to Ami's lips, but she had to interject, "Guys, I don't love him; it's impossible to love someone that quickly. I mean, I like him I guess, I just…well, I-" She felt the heat creeping back into her cheeks.

Usagi saved her from herself. "Tell ya what, Ames. Why don't we get back out there, have a good time, and we'll talk about this later tonight when we're not in a hoppin' club?"

Ami hesitated. _Can I face him? Do I have a choice? _She looked at the two women beside her, both radiating support and understanding. _I can. Especially with the girls around me. I can handle it; I have more self control than that. _A smile now firmly curving her lips, she nodded. "Sounds good. Let's not interrupt our fun for this; we have better things to do right now!" _The façade is easy, I just have to keep it up until we get back. _

Mina laughed. "Thatta girl! Now, let's go get our drinks from those two spazzes, down 'em, and get back on the dance floor!"

Ami squirmed a little and stared down at her hands. "I don't know about getting back out on the dance floor, but I'd like a drink right about now."

Usagi ducked her head to grin up at her, wickedness lacing her smile. "If we get enough alcohol in you you'll sing a different tune!"

That startled a laugh out of her, and an unexpected retort flew out of her mouth before she registered it. "Get enough alcohol in me and I just may sing, period!"

Her response sent all of them into gales of laughter. "You know we _have_ to go karaoke before we leave. It's required. Especially since we've got the guys here!" Mina flashed an evil smile. "My Kenta has quite the voice once I soften him up with a few drinks and a couple…suggestions."

Both Ami and Usagi gaped at her for a moment before bursting into helpless giggles. "Oh," Ami gasped, "I'll go just to see that!"

"Me, too!" tittered Usa. "Plus, I love to hear everybody sing, and karaoke is just plain _fun!_"

Just then Makoto shouldered the door open again, Rei on her heels. Both of them carried drinks in either hand, Rei clutching a third glass with her fingertips, their grins spread ear to ear. "Drinks are heeere!" Mako sang out. "Screaming Orgasms for everyone! Extra strong, no less."

Rei gave Ami a fiendish smirk as she handed her a glass. "The bartender made this one special for you, shutterbug. Extra extra strong."

Ami eyed the glass in her hands dubiously. "Exactly how much alcohol is in this?"

"Not the question to ask, Ames," Minako chortled. "The proper question is: 'how drunk will this get me as soon as I down it?' Ami nearly choked as Mina winked at her gleefully, and ended up wheezing with laughter at the blonde's cheery audacity as the others all burst into fits of hilarity around her. "Now have your Orgasm and let's get back out there!" Mina raised her glass high, toasting the breathless blue-haired woman beside her. "To being an idiot!"

"To being an idiot!" The rest of them chorused, and then they all raised their glasses, clinked them together, and drank as one.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N- Sorry this took so long and that it's so rushed! I may go back over this and edit as necessary, but I wanted something up. Life is kicking my butt at the moment, but I hope to get the next part of this up quicker than this. Hope you enjoy it!_

_000_

"The hell?" Jad stood beside him and looked puzzled as he watched the girls run off. "Zane, what just happened?"

The damn smile wouldn't go away, so he just shrugged and turned to his friend, eyes gleaming. "I'm not sure yet, but it'll be interesting, I can tell you that."

His friend shot him an unsure glance. "Did you do anything to Ami? 'Cause if you hurt her or anything, I'm gonna hafta kick your ass. I mean, she's a real sweetheart, Zane, so if you-"

Zane held up a hand imperiously, cutting Jad off. "I won't hurt her, Jad. Promise. But I may confuse her right now, and I fully intend to take advantage of that to insinuate myself into her life."

Jad had a sudden shit-eating grin and Zane winced. He hadn't meant to say quite _that _much. "Into her life, huh? Sounds promising," then Jad frowned, blue eyes clouding. "But why'd she run off, Zane?"

A sigh escaped him as he ran a hand over strawberry blond hair, the memory of her lips curving his own again. "Because I kissed her." A glance over at Jad showed him turning purple with the effort not to blow up on the dance floor, so he snagged the other man by the arm and dragged him in the direction of the table the rest of the group was sitting at, talking quickly as they went. "It was a spur of the moment thing, man, and believe it or not, she didn't seem _that _upset, in fact she was kissing me back, but I think then her brain kicked in and she freaked out, okay? So I didn't hurt her or force her or anything so before you take my head off take that into consideration." Another glance proved Jad to be calming, no longer on his way to apoplexy. Relieved, Zane grinned at him.

Jad grinned back at him, so he released his arm and laughed. "Not mad at me anymore?"

Jad shrugged. "Wasn't _really _mad at you to begin with, but if you'd done something to make _her_ mad or anything, well, she's one of the girls, you know? So, it's like a duty that one of us guys has to beat whoever hurts our girls. And when we say "our" girls, that means all of them, not just the ones we're dating specifically. These women come as a group, peacock, I hope you realize that by now."

Zane looked thoughtfully over at the bathroom door. "I'm definitely starting to. They certainly all shot off as soon as she was moving."

Jad nodded as they wound their way to the table. "They've been through a lot together. They're all closer than any other people I've ever seen, really."

As Zane pondered that they sat down, and Kenta, Naoki and Mamoru looked at them with expectant expressions.

"Well?" Naoki asked, meaning obvious as Kenta raised a brow and Mamoru gave Zane a bland look. "Want to tell us what happened?"

Zane flushed, suddenly feeling as if he was on trial with the three men staring at him his judges, and the one beside him his lawyer. _Right…the girls aren't the only ones that come as a set, I think. And Jad wasn't kidding when he said "our" girls, as in plural, as in all the guys are rather proprietary… _He cleared his throat. "Ah, well… We were dancing, and I kissed her. It wasn't premeditated, which I'm not sure will count for or against me, but it also wasn't forced on her or anything, and she seemed to enjoy it as much as I did until she ran away. I'm hoping that she ran away because it was unexpected, not because it was unpleasant. Is that what you wanted to know?"

Mamoru nodded slowly as his eyes pinned Zane to the seat. "For starters." The defacto leader of the group glanced at Kenta, who gave a brief tilt of his head in acknowledgement, and then at Naoki, who also nodded. His gaze transferred to Jad, and the blond looked solemn as he dipped his chin in deference. When those midnight blue eyes locked back onto Zane he felt a chill go up his spine. _As silly as this should be with them acting like a cliché out of a movie, I don't think I'm amused…_

"A club is not the proper place to discuss this, but we have things to talk about, I think. Tonight," Mamoru decided, "we will speak more about what you intend. For now, however, we'll just have a good time. Alright?"

Zane couldn't do more than bob his head in an affirmative, spine stiff with an emotion that wasn't quite fear and wasn't quite apprehension. Bemused, he answered as well as he could. "Ah, as you wish."

A definitive nod and Mamoru released him from that too-penetrating look, relaxing an infinitesimal bit. At that silent cue, the rest of them also loosened up and smirked at him. "More than you'd bargained for, hm, boyo?" Kenta rumbled, amused.

Zane just stared back at him helplessly, a bit adrift. "Ah…"

Kenta and Naoki exchanged merry glances and stood up, each taking an arm and lifting the bewildered Zane to his feet. "Let's go get a drink, peacock," Naoki suggested amiably, eyes twinkling.

"Mmhmm, drink," Zane agreed. Chuckling, the two led him to the bar, where he glimpsed Makoto and Rei making off with what looked like too many drinks for them to carry. He would've turned to watch them go, but Kenta and Naoki rather firmly planted him at the bar.

"Something strong for our friend here, would you?" Kenta instructed the bartender mildly as he slanted a look at Zane. "I believe he needs it at the moment."

"We are glad, you know," Naoki interjected cheerily. "Ami's been alone for too long, and we've all worried about her. But," he tapped Zane's cheek a little more forcefully than necessary, "as much as we like you and think that this is a good idea, we want her happiness above all things, and want to know that you'll be good to her. After all, she's like a little sister to us, and as big brothers, we have to make sure that anyone she starts seeing is a good one." Naoki's eyes darkened for a moment. "She hasn't had the best of luck in the men department…" A sharp glance at Zane had the blond stiffening again. "I love her dearly, and I won't see her hurt like that again." The glance softened and Naoki ran a hand through his chestnut curls and sighed. "But I don't think you will. Which is good." He broke off as the bartender handed the drinks around. "Here we go…"

Zane clutched at his drink, wondering how he'd gone from assured and assertive to bewildered and befuddled in so short a time. _Aie, is the whole thing going to be a rollercoaster ride like this? _

He was distracted from his thoughts as Kenta raised his glass and Naoki followed suit. "To the maybe's and possibilities, and the chance to find something worthwhile," Naoki chimed with a beam.

Kenta smiled and added, "And to making friends and keeping them."

Zane lifted his glass and joined the toast, making his own silent salute. _To leaving loneliness behind…though I may be trading it for more confusion than I've ever known, I get the feeling it'll be worth it._

Feeling slightly better about the whole situation, Zane's "Kanpai!" was as strong as the other two men's, and he knocked back his drink with resolution. He would make this work, and he _would _make her his own.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N- Okay, guys, I'm sorry this has taken so long. Honestly, real life has been rather...well, harsh lately. Still, I feel bad that I just left all of you hanging. For this chapter, please thank FilmMaker, as she is the one who really got me moving on it. She's been fantastic throughout. As a note, this chapter deals with several perspectives other than the main two; hope you enjoy it. Thanks, Liari._

The rest of the evening passed as a blur for Ami, the pleasant haze of alcohol blunting and softening all the edges and spikes of anxiety as her friends pressed drink after drink on her. Normally, she would have refused, but tonight…well, tonight wasn't exactly normal. She didn't normally come home after two in the morning, and she didn't normally need help walking through the door, either. Of course, nothing today could really be called _normal _anyway. And what was this preoccupation with the word normal? _Eh, nothing is ever normal, right? After all, it's not every day I'm kissed by an incredibly handsome man that I'm surprisingly and intensely attracted to…ARG NO no thoughts about that, isn't that why I drank so much…though he __**is **__really quite good-looking…_

Mina, who happened to be on Ami's right side supporting her as they walked back to the house, happened to see the dreamy smile that accompanied that thought and held back a slight smile. _Thought so. _She steered her wobbly friend towards the couch, where the physics of sitting down became interesting for a moment before she got Ami settled on the settee. Amused by her own thoughts, Mina grinned for a moment and then turned to Mako who'd been hovering worriedly about. "It's okay, Mako. She'll be fine, really. She just needs to sit quietly for a while, and probably have some water." Mina pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Actually, if you could go get some, that would be great. Especially since I don't think Rei or Usa are going to be much help at this point…"

Since the duo were currently singing and giggling together as they stumbled into the house that was rather obvious. Though, Mina did have to admit, even drunk Rei could _sing._ _Meh, when we do karaoke, then we'll see who's better, drunk or sober!_

Mako laughed. "Yea, I think you and I are the only sober ones, hm? Let me get those two tucked in, then I'll be back with some water for Ames."

Mina shot her a quick grin of gratitude. "Great. I'll just keep an eye on our little lush, then."

"'M not a lussh!" Ami protested from the couch. This protest was accompanied by an attempt at raising an arm to emphasize her point. Of course, since she was slouched down quite a bit into the soft cushions, giving the impression that she was being eaten by the couch, it didn't quite come across with the verve it should have.

Mako chuckled and ran off to take care of the other two as she called over her shoulder to Mina, "Right, then! I'll just get these two squared away!" She shuffled them off, slurred objections overridden by her cheerful banter and scolding for the overindulgence.

Mina snorted, bemused. "Such a mother figure." With that taken care of, she turned back to the slight figure still slumped in the embrace of the sofa. "Well, shutterbug, since we seem to have a moment to ourselves, let's talk."

She had to suppress another snort as Ami looked at her with the cutest mix of bewilderment and suspicion on her face. "Talk? You wannme to talk wh'n I'm this drunk? Thas mean, Mina…"

She patted her friend genially as she sat down beside her. "Well, I'll probably do more of the talking, you just need to listen and answer every now and then. But I figured that you drunk would be a good thing, really, since maybe it'll loosen you up enough that you don't feel like you have to hide your emotions."

Ami looked startled at that blunt statement, and Mina sighed. "I know you have reasons, sweetheart, but honestly, I worry about you so much when you shut down like that. We're your friends, you know? You don't have to keep everything inside; you can tell us when you're afraid, and when you don't feel strong. We'll help as much as we can, and if we can't, then we can at least listen to you. Sometimes that helps more than anything else." She glanced at Ami and nearly wanted to cry when she saw how tiny and lost her friend seemed. "Ames, you've gotta talk to _somebody_ before you explode… Ever since…" her voice quieted as she continued, "ever since your mom died you've drawn away from us. When the guys came into our lives, you withdrew even more. I don't think it's really on purpose, but honey, I don't think you know how much we need you."

In a voice so small and sad that it nearly broke Mina's heart Ami answered. "Dun' wanna talk 'bout it. Still _hurts,_ 'n ev'n though I know t'shudn't it _does_. 'Nd then _he _comes, and makes me _feel_, 'n I dun' wanna, dun' wanna go th-rough that a-gain, 'm happy for you and th' gurls, really am, but dun' th'nk I c'n do it, 'm too mess'd up. I…I _want_ him, Mina, 'nd that's bad, that's bad b'cuz he won't want _me_, not for g'ud, ev'ryone I love _leaves me_, ex-exschep…except for you girls." Sapphire blue eyes sparkled with tears as they met Mina's distraught gaze, and she watched as Ami fought for the words. "Makes me 'fraid. 'nd…And, that's not how I want to be. 'M…I'm…okay like this. I have all of you, and now the guys, too. I'm okay."

Mina watched Ami wordlessly for a moment, took in the tears at the edges of her eyes, the way her hands were clenched, the lines of pain drawn tight across her face. She smiled gently, then, and took those fists into her hands. "No," she crooned, "no sweetheart, you're not okay. And that's all right. It is, because if you can admit that to yourself and him, then this has a chance." Mina's smile wavered a little, and twisted slightly. "Take it from me, Ami. No one, hear me, _no one_ is ever really okay when they've gone through the things we've all gone through. Not one of us has had an easy road with regards to anything, much less our relationships. You know that; you've been there for us. Now it's our turn. Okay? Let us have our turn, too." The smile became genuine again, sweet as summer sunshine. "You've gotta be fair, shutterbug, don't take all the glory for yourself."

That teased an answering smile out of Ami. The glaze was lifting from her eyes, cleared slightly. "You know, you're all so quick to assume that this man, Zane, will be my one. What makes you think that'll be so? I barely know him, after all."

Mina grinned, feeling mischief take over. "Because, Ames, I _am _the Goddess of Love, and I know when the love rug bites someone!" Pleased with herself and secure in the knowledge that at least Ami was listening and thinking now, she flounced off to grab the glass of water for Ami, since Mako was taking so long with Usagi and Rei. So caught up in her success, she never even heard the faint murmur from the bemused Ami.

"That's love _bug, _Mina…"

000

Zane sat outside the cottage with his arms up on his knees. The "talk" with the guys earlier had gone about as he'd expected; a mixture of good natured threatening, some serious questions, and a lot of teasing. He'd answered as well as he could, but even then he knew it hadn't been quite up to par. Zane sighed; of course, since he wasn't sure himself what was going on, it _was _a bit hard to answer questions about it.

"You know, Ami and I often look at the stars together. It's a passion of mine, and she's kind enough to indulge me now and then."

Zane twitched but didn't jump as Naoki sat down beside him, wryly pleased that he managed to mask his surprise. He kept his voice low and bland. "Oh?"

Apparently not bland enough. Naoki grinned at him cheekily. "Don't worry, even though the stars are romantic, neither of us feel that way about the other. I have Mako, and Ami…well." The brunet sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then went off on what seemed a non sequitur. "She's so passionate, our shutterbug, but you'd never know it to begin with. A lot of who she is lies under that cool surface she puts on for the world." He looked over at Zane. "I get the feeling that you're the same way."

Zane refused to take the bait, and simply stared outward. Naoki shrugged and smiled slightly. "Right. Anyway, she's rather complex, our Ami. Perhaps even as much as you yourself are. But, as they say, everything is written in the stars. I guess it just depends on whether or not you can read them."

With that vague statement, Naoki wandered back into the house and left Zane to wonder what that had all been about.

"Odd guy…" he murmured to himself. _Still…_ Zane gazed up at the stars. _Can you tell me what's to come? Show me what path I should take? _The stars shone down, as silent and shimmering as ever before. He bent his head and closed his eyes, the smile on his lips derisive. _Stupid. They won't answer. Never do, no matter how important the question is, or how many times you ask. _He sighed again and leaned back, staring upwards and wishing, though he wasn't sure what for.

000

Naoki paused, one hand still on the door as it closed. He smiled slightly. "Been there long?"

Jad grinned and stepped out of the shadows. "Nah, not that long. Just wanted to make sure that you didn't kill him. He may be a pretty-boy, arrogant prick, but he's still my best friend."

Naoki looked at Jad with a curious look. "I know. Which is why I'm surprised it's taken you as long as it has to introduce all of us to him. You've talked about him forever, but the first time we ever met him was for the wedding prep. Why is that?"

A sigh gusted from Jad. "Honestly?" He smiled wryly, and ran a hand through his hair, the gesture one of Zane's characteristic moves. "We grew up together in America, moved here together, and have been each other's best friend forever and a day, but sometimes I still feel like I don't know him. I've been trying to get him to meet all of you from day one, ever since I brought Rei home to meet him. He's flat out refused me more times than I can count. I'm not sure why he finally gave in to me, but I'm glad he did." Another twisted grin. "He's one of the loneliest party guys I know. He's a playboy, but he didn't use to be like that." Jad shrugged, uncomfortable. "Of course, that's not my secret to share."

Naoki glanced at him sharply. "Is it something that will come out to hurt Ami?"

Blue eyes met brown. "I don't know. But that's something they have to find out for themselves, Naoki. Not us. We can't interfere that much."

The chestnut-maned man growled under his breath. "I won't let her be hurt."

"_We_ don't have a choice. There's nothing we can do but be there. For them _both_." Jad's eyes smouldered at Naoki. "Passion burns. People get hurt. Love is just that way, _as you well know_." The slender blond advanced on the taller man. "Leave things to your stars, Naoki."

Naoki snarled and whirled, disappeared into the back of the cabin. Jad gazed after him and sighed again. He glanced at the door even though he knew he wouldn't see anything through the sturdy wood. "Zane…I hope this works out. For everyone's sake."

With that he went back to his room to try and get some sleep, and hopefully dream of his own violet-eyed virago. _Love is always complicated… I hope for you, my friend, that it isn't as bad as all the rest of us have been._


	9. Chapter 9

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A/N- Okay, sorry this took so long, guys! Shout outs to Anonia and all those others who review anonymously. Thank you for all the support, all of you. Please enjoy.

Ami wrapped her arms around herself as she stared upwards at the endless expanse of stars from where she sat on the porch steps. She'd sobered quite quickly after _that _little discussion with Mina. _Oh, what was I thinking… _ She sighed. _This is why I don't get drunk. Should've remembered that before it happened... _She had to laugh at herself softly as she let her head tilt back slowly, her world still spinning a bit. _I get far too irrational. _She sighed again, and stood up only a little shakily. Hands tucked into the pockets of her slacks, she meandered down to the beach as she let the silver peace of it settle over her, allowed herself to simply be rather than thinking any more.

The sound of the waves as they gently brushed against the sands became her breath, a slow, even susurrus, while the wind pushed her tenderly along down the beach, a feather-firm touch at her back. A low chuckle rose in her throat, and she freed her hands from her pockets to sift the breeze through her fingers. For a moment it felt as though the world held her close and comfortingly in arms of moonlight and salt-scented air.

Here in the quiet of the sleeping dark with no one to dissemble for, to make excuses to, she finally had room to breathe. A deep inhalation filled her lungs with a cool sweetness that lingered in her blood, cleared her head more than any cup of coffee or other possible hair of the dog. Her expression settled into marble lines of repose, and eyes darkened to shining obsidian by the night remained unobscured by the lenses she'd left in the house. For this instance, Ami was open and unguarded, unreservedly herself.

Lashes lay dark against pale skin as she closed her eyes. _Why, _she wondered, whispering even in her own mind, _am I so afraid? When did I become this weak? My mother raised me to be strong, to dream of miracles, and all I can do is run away. Run away from the future, run away from my life, run away from…from possible love. Shouldn't let fear stop me from…well, stop me at all. _A wry smile twisted its way across her lips briefly. _Is this a decision or merely another evasion? ..and, is this maybe-decision about my life in general or…otherwise? It's sad that even I don't know, isn't it… _

A shift in the wind distracted her from her internal monologue and drew her eyes up to the sky. A soft smudge of charcoal clouds billowed towards her, the leading edge devouring stars with unexpected speed, the spread blanket of grey behind it covering the sky to the horizon. An honest smile now turned the corners of her mouth, true and delighted. "Storm," she murmured to herself, the word infused with pleasure. She watched as it flowed across the heavens and came ever closer, felt the nameless joy of it rise in her chest; she didn't know why she loved storms, but that she did was indisputable. The glory of them, the power and gentleness that combined so effortlessly in the elements of wind and water all called to her with a voice as pure and flawless as clear ice.



She held tight to that elation as she slipped back into the house somewhat reluctantly. As much as she wanted to see the beginning of the storm, stand out in the rain, she knew she needed sleep, and that a drenching right now would be a chill her tired body couldn't handle well. _Tomorrow_, she promised herself, _tomorrow I'll find a moment to dance in it._ A short-lived hesitation held her in the kitchen doorway before she gave in to practicality and quietly poured and drank two glasses of water. The third came with her to her room, where she set it on her nightstand in easy reach. She shed the pretty clothes, draped them over the back of her desk chair in a spill of black, and got into bed. Settled in the soft and familiar comfort of her bed she breathed, a rhythmic flow; _out _fear, _in _strength, _out _doubt, _in _hope. _Maybe, _she thought drowsily, _if I just keep breathing, it'll be okay. Breathe all my weakness out of me 'til there's none left, all this nervousness gone… _She exhaled softly once more, and slid into sleep, where warm arms welcomed her into dreaming.

000

It was the tranquil patter of rain on the roof that eventually brought her up out of sleep. A somnolent smile graced her lips as she snuggled in bed and listened to it, eyes heavy lidded and unfocused. Formless emotion filled her as she drifted in and out of a light doze. That doze was broken rather unceremoniously when she suddenly had a bed full of girls in their pj's who all giggled madly as they piled on her; all in all, it was a very good thing that she possessed a queen-sized bed, otherwise it would have been _very_ cramped indeed.

"Eemph!" Ami yelped unintentionally as Mina carelessly flopped over her stomach, closely followed by Makoto, who sprawled over them both. Rei and Usagi each took a side, which made her feel like she was sandwiched between night and day, midnight locks and dusky violet eyes to her right, sunshine hair and summer sky eyes to her left. Torn between amusement and annoyance she couldn't decide whether to laugh along or glare at them all, and ended up looking rather silly as she tried to do both.

"Sleepyhead Ami, sleepyhead Ami, get up and pla-ay, get up and pla-ay!" warbled Usa. Ami looked at her sideways, bemused. Mina tweaked her nose and drew her attention to the other blonde, and past Mina to Mako who made faces at her.

"What," she asked mildly, quiet laughter easily apparent in her voice despite her efforts to the contrary, "is going on here?" The attempted solemnity of the question was somewhat abolished by another squeak on the heels of it when Rei poked her in the side. A quick frown at the girl to her right showed not an ounce of remorse, but rather a wicked grin and mocking lift of the eyebrow. Ami sighed, but the 

subtle curl of a smile was evident. "I'd thought to be able to sleep in today; I-fallaciously, obviously-assumed you two at least," she inclined her head to each woman at either side, "would have something of a hangover."

Mako added her grin to Rei's as she peered over Mina's shoulder. "Nah, I made sure those two'd be fine; made them drink lots of water before I let them go to sleep. Went to bring you some, but Mina beat me to it, and you'd already wandered outside by then."

Usagi nodded gravely and mock-whispered, "She did make us drink lots of water, Ames, so much that I couldn't sleep in this morning at _all_ because I had to use the bathroom. Isn't that mean? To make an engaged woman have to get up early on her vacation before the wedding? I think it's downright cruel and unusable."

Rei snorted. "Mina's rubbing off on you, Dumpling Brain; it's cruel and _unusual."_

This bluntly indelicate statement met with indignant cries from both blondes, and another _whumph_! from Ami and a holler from Mako when Mina bounced huffily in herannoyance. "Hey!" Mako complained, "Watch it, spaz, or I'm going to decorate the upholstery; namely, you."

Mina made a face and kept still. "Ew, Mako. Puke is _not_ my best colour at _all_." She perked again as another thought struck her. "And we should all get out of bed, anyway; since it's raining the guys are coming over here to spend the day!"

That jolted Ami into an attempt to be upright, and nearly smacked her head right into Mina's startled face. She gathered her scattered poise and questioned Mina, "So, when exactly are they coming over and why wasn't this mentioned sooner? And what, pray tell, are we going to _do _while they're all here?"

The girls rolled off the bed, and Ami swung her legs over to sit on the edge as they arranged themselves around her room. Mako looked amused and guilty, Rei smugly pleased, Mina like a cat in the cream, and Usa just shone merrily at Ami from her seat on the floor. "We're going to cook breakfast, and play games, and watch movies, and then tonight we're going out to dinner again and karaoke!" Usa beamed happily as she burbled, obviously euphoric about the whole concept. "We have all sorts of board 

games, and the boys are going to bring over their Wii, and some movies, and we might make cookies, Mako says, and it's going to be so much fun!"

Mina clapped her hands together to bring attention to herself. "Which means we need to all get dressed and ready for the day since they're going to be here in about an hour!" Rei, Usagi, and Makoto scattered, laughing, as Mina chased them out of the room while she threw a mischievous smile over her shoulder to Ami. "You too, shutterbug!"

Ami smiled wryly as she got out of bed and padded over to her dresser. For a moment she hesitated, wondered if she shouldn't dress up just a little, since _he_ would be there…but then she shook her head, and stubbornly extracted some of her comfy, worn jeans and a pale green shirt with an overlay of a storm cloud on it. After obtaining undergarments as well, she headed to her private bath for a shower to freshen up before the guys got there, _not _to help soothe her nerves at the thought of being cooped up in _her_ home all day with _him_. Really.

000

_I'm going to kill him._

This was the singular thought that made its way into the sleepy haze that was Zane's brain as he stared blearily up at the grinning face of the devil. Green eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the beaming apparition above him. "Why," he growled, "are you grinning like a jackal in front of my face at," narrowed eyes flicked sideways to the clock on the nightstand, "_eight_ in the _goddamn _morning?!"

Zane hadn't known it was possible for Jad's grin to get any bigger, but he seemed to manage. "Because we're going over to Ami's for the day because rain has spoiled any other plans we may have had. I didn't think you'd mind."

After the actual meaning of the blond's words sunk in Zane sat up abruptly, and knocked his head against Jad's with a smart _crack! _Once the spate of incoherent swearing had run its course Zane rolled out of bed, ignoring the groans coming from the other side of it. "Man," Jad complained as he rubbed at his new lump, "you're lucky you just hit my head and not my face, peacock. I would've had to beat you if you messed up my ravishing good looks with a black eye."

Zane tossed a grin back at his best friend as he dug his brush from his toiletry bag. "Lucky thing you've got a hard head, then. And I wouldn't be insane enough to give you a black eye; the only one who can do that is your girlfriend."

"Oh ha ha," came the dry answer. "Just because that one time…"

Zane laughed, "She was so pissed! I was surprised she didn't do more than that, honestly. And the look on your face…"

A surly glare was his only reward for the recollection. Zane grinned again and snagged his toothbrush and toothpaste; he felt entirely upbeat, even after being woken absurdly early. _Her house, we're going to her house! I get to see the heart of her, see the personal touches, the little clues to the workings of her mind… _He slung his towel over his shoulder and aimed his charm at Jad. "Anyway, I'm going to go shower, as you should if you want Rei to be able to breathe around you, sparks."

Jad just snorted. "As if you'd leave any hot water, peacock."

Zane shrugged and smiled. "You need more cold showers than you take anyway."

Jad laughed and jumped up from the bed. "Not I, my friend, not I. I have my hot little number to satiate me; _you're _the one with that need after lusting over our shutterbug."

As tempted as Zane was, he decided to leave the smug mug alone for right now; he had to go shower. He waved a languid hand at Jad. "Well, I'm going to go get pretty, you might want to try to do something with that mop of yours."

The chuckle from Jad brought an answering one from Zane. "I try," Jad dramatized, "but I can never achieve the femininity of your flowing locks with my own short mane. Alas, that I may not know the womanish beauty of Zane Aestus."

A scornful snort was Zane's only retort as he left the room, promising himself he'd get back at the impudent puppy later. _If things go well, maybe I'll even forget it entirely. _He smiled to himself, pleased with his world and all the possibilities it held. _Today should be fun…_

000

The clatter from the kitchen announced the beginnings of breakfast as Mako started cooking; a few seconds later the ejection of Usagi from said kitchen ensured it would be edible. Usa pouted her way over to where Ami was trying to smother a smile, and flopped down. She plopped her head into Ami's lap heedlessly, and proceeded to mope. Ami nearly bit her lip as a laugh almost escaped her. She gripped her self control with both mental hands and asked diplomatically, "What's wrong, Usa?"

Usa sank deeper into her sulk. "I wanted to help Mako cook breakfast for my Mamo-love…but she kicked me out."

Ami suppressed another smile, and made her voice as soothing as possible, though she was afraid it was still slightly tinted with mirth. "Well, since you couldn't do that, do you think we need to rearrange anything in here?"

Usa tilted her head to look at the room and consider the idea. She and Ami sat on the long leg of the dark green couch, the mahogany coffee table in front of them with a tidy stack of coasters, and a lone book on the end where Ami must've set it down. The lower-L-part of the couch was scattered with dove grey plush pillows, same as the side they were on.

A glance at the warm wood floor showed a lush rug of the same silvery color as the pillows, trimmed in sapphire blue. The thought that Ami had fantastic taste and decorating sense ran through Usagi's head, bemusing her. The walls were a blue so pale that it almost looked cream, more of a tint than a shade, and were covered with photos in elegant black framing; most of them were ones Ami herself had taken. As Usa looked at them she wondered again how Ami could ever doubt that she had a talent for photography; they were all beautiful, and seemed to capture the personality of the woman behind the lens as much as they did the scenes they depicted. The rest of the room was rather standard; the TV opposite the couch was a medium large flat screen, nothing particularly fancy, but still quality. Lamps 

stood at three corners of the room and gave off illumination without being too noticeable. The only other thing that was of real note was the stereo next to the TV and right outside the door to the library, in that it was surprisingly extravagant, though still fitting with the rest of the decor. Memories of that stereo flooded Usagi briefly, of having it on as they painted, sanded, and worked around the cottage; of listening to it play quietly while Ami was in the library reading.

She grinned slightly at the memory, but then let it go in favor of answering the question. "No, I don't think we need to move anything, Ames. You've got good decorating sense, and you've left a nice big area for us to play around in. Though, if you're worried about it, maybe we should move your stereo into the library?" Usa quirked her head to look up at Ami inquisitively. "Where did you get that, anyway? I know you always had it going when we were all doing stuff here, but I never thought to ask before. It's really nice."

Ami's smile was a bit far-away, but she still replied. "My mother gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday; she knew how much I love music, encouraged it even as she laughingly told me I must've gotten that from my father since she was tone-deaf. She could appreciate music up to a point, but it never moved her the way it moved me. She teased me that it was the one thing that I was never entirely logical about." She gazed down at Usagi, but the blonde got the feeling that she wasn't really seeing her. "Well, that and my strange fascination with storms." The look on Ami's face was sweet and unguarded, and Usagi rejoiced silently, glad to see what used to be such a common expression for her friend, one she hadn't seen in some time.

The moment was broken by a bang from the kitchen, and a stream of profanities that followed a laughing Rei as she scooted quickly into the living room, licking her fingers as she came. The brash woman grinned at the two on the couch. "It may not have been the best idea to nick a taste from the Dragon Lady in there, but damn is it good. She's making quiche, and tarts, and all sorts of really nice stuff." Rei tossed an amused glance towards the kitchen and raised her voice enough to be heard through the renewed clanging of pots and pans. "Of course, it would take having the guys over to get her to cook the good stuff; she'd never do this if it were just us."

_That _brought Mako out of the kitchen in a hurry. She blew into the room with a gust of delicious smelling air and a brandished wooden spoon, a smear of dough up near her temple where she must've pushed back her hair absently. "That is totally unfair, Rei! _And _untrue! And you know it! I make you guys treats all the time, and _you _drop by the restaurant constantly for goodies. It's not often the guys and us are all in the same place at the same time, and I wanted to do something nice for it! I don't _have to_, you know, it's not like I'm not in a kitchen for most of my day anyway being a _chef_ or anything, not 

like I don't have anything better to do than play domestic servant for you, after all!" Mako huffed at them, green eyes shooting sparks that were a mix of exasperation and well-intentioned mockery. "And if you'd let me get on with it, this breakfast might even be done by the time they get here! So all of you, stop coming into my kitchen while I'm cooking!"

At that opportune moment Mina came through the door with a half-eaten raspberry tart in one hand. "Hey, Mako," she chirped, "these are great! What else do you have going in there?"

With a shriek that would do a beansidhe proud, Mako whirled on the hapless blonde and let loose a flood of invective that nearly scorched the eyebrows off her, all emphasized with flailing gestures of the spoon that splattered Mina and her surroundings with blotches of cream. The fuming Amazon then whisked back into her domain, and 'ware to those who dared to cross it.

Mina stood there, mouth agape and tart dangling forgotten in her hand. "What'd I do?"

The other three women in the room all looked at each other, looked back at her, and then did the only thing they could think of; they burst into laughter.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N-And the saga continues! We are actually getting to the halfway point, believe it or not. Much more interaction in this chapter, and because I love you all and am horribly, horribly sorry for not updating as regularly as I should, it's also rather long. Also, (and this will make sense later, I promise) the Japanese word for rain is ame. Thank you to all anonymous/no –email reviewers, and especially Anonia. _

"We're here!" Naoki called out as he pushed the door open. He grinned as he walked into laughter, the sight that greeted him a pleasant one. Ami and Usagi looked like kittens on the couch, tangled up with each other and giggling, with Rei collapsed on the floor laughing at Mina, who stood near the kitchen losing the fight to look indignant to the allure of the merriment. He assumed Mako was in aforementioned kitchen, since she wasn't out here in the fun. He set the bag of videogames by the door as the other guys filed in after him, shrugged out of his wet jacket, hurriedly tossed it on a hanger in the closet, and immediately started out to greet his sweetheart.

Just as he passed Rei there was a chorus of "NO!" from the girls, and a hand snagged his ankle, sending him sprawling into Mina as she rushed forward to stop him, her momentum tumbling them backwards into Rei. When the dust cleared and the whose-limbs-are-whose was sorted out Naoki sat up with a glower.

He rubbed his head; somewhere in that mess he'd knocked it against something hard. From the way Rei was scowling and rubbing at her knee, probably that. Mina seemed mostly unharmed though rumpled. He glared around at them all, the guys standing in the doorway staring as Usa and Ami gaped at the three on the floor. "Okay, anyone want to tell me why the hell tackling me suddenly became popular?"

Usa raised her hand timidly. Naoki couldn't help the incredulous grin. "Um, yes, Usa?"

She lowered her hand and looked at him earnestly as words poured out of her in a flood of sincere explanation. "Well, see, Ami and I were sitting here and wondering if we'd have to move anything around since you guys were coming but I decided that we didn't really have to, I mean, I only decided because Ami asked, you know, but anyway, it was decided that everything is fine where it is and doesn't Ami have a lovely place here, not that you haven't seen it before, I mean, you've been here, but anyway, so Rei came out of the kitchen, but she'd sneaked a bite of something that Mako was making and you KNOW how Mako gets when she's in the kitchen, I mean, she kicked me out earlier when I just wanted to help because I wanted to make something special for my Mamo, but she was that mean that she didn't want me in there, and Rei made her mad with the snatching and then Mina didn't know, so she came out and was munching on something TOO, and Mako flew off the handle and it's really not safe to go in there right now and that's why they tackled you." Her explanation out, she sucked air in and gazed at him pleadingly, blue eyes imploring him to please not be mad.

Slightly dazed by the sheer amount of verbosity that had just come out of the petite blonde, Naoki looked over at the rest of the guys, all of whom appeared to be just as stunned as he. Except for Mamoru. He just looked slightly bemused. Then again, he probably dealt with the massive outpouring of words on a daily basis. Poor man. Naoki returned his attention to Usa, who was still making puppy-dog eyes at him. A glance flicked over at Ami showed her barely holding onto composure, while similar peeks at Rei and Mina revealed both of them looking like they were going to burst. "Ah… Oh," was about all he could manage without losing his tentative grasp on his own laughter.

He turned to Mamoru, and hoped that the desperation in his eyes was enough to get the man to do something. Luckily, Mamoru was already on the move towards his fiancée, who had transferred her gaze to him. The brilliant man held out a hand to help her to her feet, and snugged her against his side, smiling. "Thank you, love, for explaining that to us." He dropped a kiss on her nose as she beamed up at him, pleased. "Now that that's all cleared up, though, you want to help us sort out which games we want to play first?"

Effectively distracted, Usagi bounced over to the bags with more enthusiasm than grace, Mamoru following her with a grin at Naoki. Naoki tossed a grin back and then plopped down in Usagi's vacated spot on the couch with such force that Ami squeaked and half fell against him. He cheerily ignored Zane's glare and wrapped an arm around the small woman beside him. "Well, I suppose since the love of my life is unavailable, I shall have to avail myself of this slightly inferior female." Naoki smirked as he watched Zane slowly turning purple out of the corner of his eye.

Fortunately for the blond's blood pressure, Ami just chuckled, extracted herself, stood and tsked at Naoki; her mock-severe manner placated the man behind her, though she couldn't see him, and he turned his attention back to Rei, who poked him for his inattention. "Now, now, stargazer, you know better. Even if I _am _an inferior female specimen compared to your idolized Makoto, you know quite well that she would be rather less than pleased by you _availing _yourself of me." Her smile was sweet and teasing, and Naoki beamed at her for the playful mockery. "And with that said, I need some water," she glanced over her shoulder at where Usagi, Mamoru, Jad, and Mina were going through the games with Rei and Zane standing by looking bemused, "and to not be near the mess they're making of my living room," she added in an undertone for his ears only. The almost pained look she shot at him amused him. "Not that I'm a neat freak, obviously, but I know that the three blonds' at least are going to apply more zest than sense."

Naoki chuckled. "That's putting it nicely. And mildly. But, maybe Mamoru will be able to temper their, ahem, gusto."

At precisely that moment Usagi and Jad started arguing about whether or not Twilight Princess was fun or not, and how it stood up to the other Zelda games. Ami just clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the giggle he could hear anyway, and raced for the kitchen. Naoki, however, watched merrily as Mamoru lifted Usagi off her feet and dangled her upside down, with the desired result of sidetracking and annoying her, and Mina jumped on Jad, effectively diverting him. When Zane and Rei got involved somehow or other, though, Naoki decided to make tracks too, before he got sucked into the launching brawl.

By the time he pushed his way through the kitchen door, Ami stood at the sink with a half full water glass and Mako was engaged in pulling something that smelled _delicious _out of the oven. He grinned and sauntered over to sniff deeply over her shoulder as she set the pan down. At her coy glance over her shoulder he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed behind her ear. "How are you, my Kitchen Dragon? Still terrorizing all those who dare enter your territory?"

She smiled and sighed in contentment as she leaned back against him, a warm and familiar presence in his arms; she smelled of honeysuckle and baking. "No," she negated, "Not all those who dare enter; just those who steal from my hoard."

Ami chuckled from the sink, and set down the now empty water glass. "But the hoard is now done and ready to be shared, isn't it?" She came over and looked down at the casserole in the dish, the golden brown surface wafting its heavenly scent upwards. "Mm, it smells divine, Mako, and I'm quite hungry." She smiled up at the brunette and offered, "If you want some help serving, I'm willing."

Mako smiled back at her and shook her head. "No, I figured we'd just do everything buffet-style, since there's so much food and so many of us. Easier that way. Though I won't object if you'd get out the dishes and silverware and set them over there," she indicated the end of the counter with a dip of her head, hands full with a dish of hash potatoes.

Ami nodded and proceeded to set out ten plates and the corresponding silverware, all arranged neatly at the beginning of the food, with napkins as well. She cast a glance at the full counter and table, and mentally calculated just how much room there was in her living room for everyone, wondering if her coffee table and side tables were up to this. At the somewhat dismal numbers (though if she and one other person stood it might work…), she silently sighed and resigned herself to scouring the room later for any dropped food.

Mako finished the last of her preparations and pulled Naoki in for a quick kiss before she headed out to tell everyone they were now invited to eat. Ami suppressed another sigh at their easy intimacy and instead smiled slightly at Naoki as he turned his silly grin to her. Pleased with himself, he came over and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry too much about the abuse your living room might take, shutterbug, I took into consideration just how much food my Mako would make, and came prepared." He grinned at her some more and she felt her smile turn up more, genuine now.

"Oh?" she asked, curious despite herself. "How do you figure, and how did you know what I was thinking?"

He swept her through the door into the living room, and she saw what he meant by "came prepared". Her coffee table had been pushed against the wall to get it out of the way for the huge picnic blanket now spread on her floor. The colourful fabric looked sturdy, and she stopped worrying about stains on her carpet. She gave Naoki a grateful glance. "You're fantastic, Naoki. Thank you."

His expression softened from smug into pleased. He slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed fondly. "You're welcome, Ami. And to answer your _other _question, I knew because you always get a little crease here" he tapped a finger between her eyes gently, "when you're calculating something." She batted at his hand half-heartedly, but her eyes shone gently at him.

Usa spotted her then, and bounced over, extracting her from Naoki with a skill that was surprisingly deft and done so sweetly that it was impossible for him to be offended. "Ami! Look, we're gonna have a breakfast picnic, isn't this great? _I _think it's awesome! We're going to watch a movie while we eat, too, wanna help us pick? Jad says rainy days are for watching horror movies, but I don't think I want to watch a horror movie, what if I get scared and drop my plate? That would waste Mako's yummy food! I don't want to do that. So, I thought we could pick a comedy or maybe even a romantic comedy! What do you think? Something with Meg Ryan in it? I know you like her, and I do, too! Nothing too sad, though, like City of Angels…I like that movie, but I _always_ cry, and I don't feel like crying today, do you? No? Good! Then let's look what else we have…"

Ami happily accompanied Usagi over to where the movies spread across the floor, and picked through them with all the girls until they came across "You've Got Mail," and carted that to the DVD player over Jad's protests that he didn't want to watch a "chick flick."

"Too bad!" Mina chuckled at him, "We get first decision; you can pick the next movie."

Rei held up a finger as he brightened at that, and warned him, "So long as it _isn't _a horror movie." When he deflated she snickered, but slid up to him and kissed his cheek. "But action movies are okay."

Mako nodded vigorously at that, and added, "We have a lot of kung fu flicks, too. I brought all my Jet Li movies." She grinned and trotted off to the kitchen again, happy to leave them all to make a final decision.

Rei smiled and leaned up to murmur in his ear, "Kung fu or action flicks for now, but maybe we can watch a horror movie later tonight." Her eyes darkened with subtle promises, and he grinned down at her and bent forward to kiss her fleetingly on the lips.

"I think we can manage that, so long as we," he indicated the guys with a tilt of his head, "don't have to watch chick flicks all day."

There was hearty agreement from where Kenta and Zane were setting up the Wii. "Toss in the occasional kung fu flick and we'll be fine," Zane put in. "I actually like 'You've Got Mail,' though. It's a pretty good movie."

Kenta barely concealed a snort of amusement as Jad piped in with, "Of course you think so, Zane, you're almost a chick yourself!" When Zane abandoned helping Kenta to tackle Jad, Naoki wandered over to lend a hand, not bothering to hide his laughter.

"If it helps," he offered, "we brought all three Indiana Jones movies, too. We can probably get them to watch it if we remind them how much they like Harrison Ford." The chuckle from Kenta indicated assent, and as he plugged in the last wire he rocked back on his heels with a look of satisfaction.

"There," he rumbled, "All set." He tossed a warm glance back at Mina and crew, and rose fluidly. "If you want to play now, love, you can," he held up a hand at the rush towards him and the system started and warned them, "but if anything happens to this thing, the one who broke it _will _pay for it, understood?"

The flat threat stopped Jad, Rei, Zane and Usagi dead, and all four looked at him warily, but Mina simply laughed and danced up to him. She held her hand up and looked at him solemnly, though it was slightly spoiled by the wicked gleam in her eyes. "I vow," she intoned, "that if I so break your Wii I will…" she leaned in and murmured into his ear.

Ami was entirely amused as whatever Mina said turned Kenta an interesting shade of red, but stepped in to salvage some of his dignity. "Are you guys going to play, then? Shall we save the movies for after you've all worn yourselves out on video games?" Kenta shot her a brief grateful glance before he turned to the rest of them to see their answer.

The four blonds and lone brunette looked at each other, shrugged, and all grinned and nodded. "Yes," Jad asserted, "we want to play before we settle down to watch movies. We'll still eat, though!" he added as he caught a glimpse of Mamoru exiting the kitchen with a fully laden plate.

Mamoru grinned at them all and gestured with his fork. "Mako's made us a feast; she's even made those crepes you love so much, Usako." He took a teasing bite of his as he watched his fiancée's eyes go huge and pleading. "Mm, delicious, I may have to go back for more."

"Maaamooo, don't, you'll eat them all and then there won't be any left for mee!" Usagi raced to the kitchen to claim her crepes before anyone else could even move. Mako snickered as she exited the kitchen with her own plate and made her way to claim a spot on the blanket.

"Usa," she called through the door, "It's okay, I made plenty!" She shook her head in amusement, grinned. "I think if anyone else wants any, they'd better go get some now before she ravages the whole kitchen." With those words she stepped aside; a wise move, considering the rush past her.

Ami grinned back at Mako. "I think I'll wait until the squabbling is over before I get my plate." Mako laughed and settled on the blanket with her back to the couch, and Ami claimed the corner of it, curling up with her favorite throw pillow.

"I don't blame you, Ami," Mamoru chuckled as he stepped over Mako, dropping a fond kiss on top of her head as he passed to sit on the other end of the couch, keeping his plate meticulously level to Ami's gratitude. "And thank you, Mako, for the wonderful food."

"Mako always makes wonderful food!" Usagi beamed as she exited the kitchen with a plate that threatened to spill its contents everywhere with as much as she'd piled on it. Still, even the klutz had her graceful moments, and she managed to seat herself without incident in front of the Wii, her claim staked on both food and controller. Utterly pleased with herself, Usagi set about creating a Mii so she could play games with it while simultaneously (and amazingly) shoveling food into her maw at an incredible rate.

Mako and Ami eyed each other, and both also stuffed morsels of food into their own mouths to keep from laughing. Mamoru, on the other hand, just gave Usagi a fond, if exasperated look. "Usako, perhaps you should wait until you're done eating before trying to play the game?"

A full-cheeked Usa looked back at him and vigorously shook her head; Ami was amazed she didn't choke as she gulped in order to clear her mouth for talking. "Nope! Gotta set up my character first so I can pick the game!"

Jad, who heard the tail end of that statement as he came over, yelped and rushed over, nearly overturning Mako in the process. "Hey! No fair starting without me!" He winced at the inarticulate growl behind him and amended quickly, "Us!" Rei stalked over with Zane right behind her, both angling for controllers, and Ami settled back to enjoy the show and complimentary fireworks; she'd get breakfast in a minute.

000

Ami popped her last bite of melon into her mouth as she watched Usagi, Jad, Mina, and Rei squabble over who got to be what in Rock Band. Amused, she chuckled under her breath as they finally got it sorted out; Usagi on guitar, Jad on drums, Mina on bass, and Rei on vocals. There was still grumbling from Mina about being stuck on bass when she should be the one singing and from Zane for being odd man out, but all in all they were set. Now they just had to pick a song… As the battle began, Ami unfolded herself from the couch and took her plate into the kitchen to put it in the dishwasher.

She rinsed the plate absently, gazing out the window at the falling rain. Dish safely tucked into the dishwasher, she hesitated. Surely they wouldn't miss her right now? They were all busy with the game system, and probably wouldn't even miss her while she was out there. Decided now, she slipped into the study to snag her iPod and pop it into the inside pocket of her grey jacket as she pulled it on. Her chest filled with anticipation as she slid out the kitchen door and into the cool air outside. She paused in the doorway, and took a deep breath; it tasted of water, heavy with the sweetness of the rain. Earphones inserted, she dug the iPod out just enough to use the pad, opened the appropriate playlist and stepped out just as the first strains of piano sang into her ears.

Lifted on the music and the storm, she danced. Soft, slow movements, smooth and graceful as the rain caressed her skin. Her eyes drifted closed as she danced, body flowing, swaying, gentle peace in motion. The music of the piano was emphasized by the music of the storm, and the sounds wrapped around each other until they seemed as if they were meant to be listened to exactly like this; the fluid notes on the piano, the tender patter of the downpour. _This, _she thought before thought floated away, _this is ecstasy. _Then she merely _was_; a woman dancing in the rain.

000

He didn't notice she was gone at first. She'd gotten up while Jad and Mina argued about what song they would play, and he'd assumed that she was putting the plate she had in her hands away in the kitchen. It seemed like her; very neat and tidy, though there were hints that she wasn't always that way around the house. The book left on the table, the pillow beside the couch rather than on it, just little things that showed she wasn't a perfectionist. Which, by the by, he was perfectly fine with, as a not-perfectionist himself...mostly.

When she hadn't reappeared by the time Kenta bopped Mina on the head and mildly told her to behave while Rei smacked Jad and told him the same though with the proviso that they should do the song _she _wanted, he started to wonder. It shouldn't take that long to rinse a dish and put it in the washer, right? Zane casually rose to make his way to the kitchen by way of stepping over Makoto and Naoki, and sliding past Mamoru. Mamoru raised a single brow as he went past, but smiled slightly, too, and Zane smiled somewhat ruefully back and gave a little shrug, mildly embarrassed, though he wasn't sure why.

Finally in the kitchen, he glanced around, confused; no Ami in sight. He peeked through the open door to the study; desk, computer, more bookshelves (he swore the woman had more bookshelves than a college; she even had her own _library_ and she still had bookcases everywhere!), iPod port, two cameras, and several picture frames. Also, still no Ami. Going back into the kitchen he checked the dishwasher; sure enough, there was a newly rinsed plate in it. He started to get frustrated; after all, it's not like there were many more places she could be. She hadn't come back into the living room, she wasn't in the study, where else could she be?

He pondered the last exit from the kitchen thoughtfully. Outside? His brow furrowed; she wouldn't have gone out into the storm, would she? Were they that bad as company? The thought hurt him that she would rather be cold and wet rather than stay in the room with him, and he hated that feeling. Determined now he pulled the door open and stepped outside…and there she was.

His breath caught in his throat in an utter cliché, but he couldn't help it; she was beautiful. No, more than beautiful; she was incandescent. This wasn't like the dancing from the other night; this was an elegant, graceful song she created with her body. Not dance so much as an expression of pure, unadulterated joy. _Look, _his mind whispered to him, _at this woman, this lovely, delicate, and far too fragile woman. Look at her, and know what you want. _Breath no longer caught, his throat filled instead with wordless emotion as he finally gave in and admitted to himself what he wanted. _I want her. Not just her body, either. All of her; her faults, her frailty, her strengths and triumphs, I want to be a part of her life and I want her to be a part of mine. _His heart contracted around the idea and swallowed it whole, made it an intrinsic element of his being even as he rebelled against the suddenness of it. He couldn't say the rest of it, not even to himself, wouldn't after only weeks of knowing her, but it was there. And because it was there, he stepped forward into the rain.

She didn't seem to hear him approach, and he studied her as he came. Big blue eyes closed, lips curved in a serene smile, skin luminous with rain, hair dark with it. He stopped just shy of her, not wanting to scare her, and spoke softly. "Ami." To his bemusement, she kept dancing, still oblivious to his presence. Obviously, her headphones were very effective; either that or she was too lost in her own world to even notice him. A grin flirted with his mouth as he mentally shrugged and said to hell with not startling her; next time he had an opening he slipped his arms around her and joined her dance.

000

As she danced, she dreamed. With her eyes closed and her mind filled with music she could almost feel him there as she flowed with the falling rain, his presence a blossom of warmth in her chest. Ami's throat hummed with contentment; the cool touch of rain against her skin and the soft embrace of the breeze imbued her with happiness.

When she heard the murmur of her name she thought it was simply her imagination voicing itself; when she felt real arms around her, however, she realized it wasn't all in her head after all. She opened her eyes slowly, almost afraid that if she looked he wouldn't be there even though the heat of his hands at her waist seared her through her wet clothes. Emerald eyes gazed down at her, and she felt a smile burgeoning on her lips. She settled her hands on his shoulders for balance, and they swayed together easily. _This isn't so bad, no reason to be nervous, really, _she told herself as she was swept up in his green gaze. "Hi," she said simply as she blinked up at him mildly.

He looked amused as he replied. "Hi." A tendril of strawberry blond hair plastered itself to his cheek as the rain soaked him through and when he impatiently brushed it back behind his ear she found herself chuckling. His nonplussed look just made it turn into a full blown laugh, and she tipped her head back merrily, her throat exposed to him. She felt giddy with the combination of his nearness and the storm, as if she was fizzing all over with bubbles.

Face to the sky and eyes closed, she missed the expression on his face as he gazed at her then; a blazing hunger tempered by awed tenderness. Softly, she began to speak, countenance still turned upwards to savour the caress of rain. "You probably think it's weird that I love to come out here and dance in the pouring rain, don't you? It's okay, I know it's odd. Even I don't really know _why _I do, but it doesn't really matter. There's something about rain…" She sighed, not sure she could explain. "There's peace in it, and music." She lowered her chin again, opened her eyes to see if he understood, fearing he wouldn't.

He looked back at her with an unreadable expression, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. "You know," he murmured, "it makes a certain kind of sense. They sound the same." Confused, she gave him a questioning glance. Zane smiled at her, eyes shining with delight. "Your name. It's so close, don't you see? Rain, Ami, rain, Ami." He rolled the syllables on his tongue as if they were a delicacy, tasting each sound; the full roundness of the a's, the hum of the m's, the bare difference between the lilt of the e and the bright note of the i. Her cheeks flushed as she listened to him; she'd never heard her name said like that before. In his mouth, her name sounded like something precious. _How does he do that? _she wondered weakly as she tried to regain her composure. _How is it that this man can so completely disarm me with the mere utterance of my __**name**__?_

000

Zane noticed how flustered she looked, and he gave over his rumination of her name in the interest of keeping her comfortable, and changed the subject. "So, what are you listening to?"

"Yiruma," she told him as she offered him an earphone. When he slipped it into his ear it was a revelation of hauntingly lovely melody. Whoever or whatever Yiruma was, he/she/they/it played the piano in a way that would make angels weep. He turned wondering eyes on her, and by the pleased look on her face she knew she had a convert.

She smiled brilliantly at him. "He's one of my favourite pianists. Korean, and incredibly talented." Her eyes were distant as she continued, "His music is so evocative; only a few others have ever touched me like he has."

He pulled her a little closer, fascinated by the light in her far-away eyes. "What's this song called?"

"'When The Love Falls'," she replied, and he noted the aptness wryly.

As they continued to move gently, the song came to a close, and a new one began. This one shimmered with delicate notes that fell just as the raindrops around them. "And this one?" he asked as she stopped moving, eyes closed again, and the sheer peace on her face making his heart ache with yearning. In her stillness was a poignant thanks thrown to the heavens from her grateful heart.

"This is my song," she murmured, in a voice that made him wonder if she was speaking to _him _anymore. "This is the one I listen to when I need…anything. It makes everything better; just like dancing in the rain." He waited, and she went on, opening her eyes and smiling at him again; it made his knees weak, and he wondered just how many damned clichés she was going to cause. "It's called 'Kiss the Rain,'" she said even as she turned her face up again as if she would.

His own smile lit every corner of his soul as he took her chin in his hand and brought her attention back to him. He gazed at her, and threw every caution to the wind as he spoke, "I like that idea. May I?" and then waited for the answer.

000

_God, his eyes… _She was caught in that deep, dark gaze. His eyes were a profound green that nearly hurt with intensity, his calmly asked question burning in them. _If I say no…_ He would walk away. He would walk away and she would never know. _But if I say yes… _That was almost as bad; it would take things somewhere she couldn't predict, _couldn't _know. But…it was what she wanted. And was that so bad? Really?

The edges of his smile frayed as she hesitated, and she knew she needed to answer him. And honestly, there was only one way she could. She closed the distance between them, and gave him her response whispered nearly against his lips. "Yes." _I will not be afraid anymore…_

This time when he kissed her and she kissed him back she didn't run, didn't want to run, didn't want to do anything but stay in this single moment for as long as they could.

000

_A/N-Told you it would make sense. And here, my friends, is one of the turning points in this story. Please, please review and let me know what you thought of this, and I truly hope you enjoyed it. Thank you all again._

_~Liari_


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